Modal verbs exercises

Exercícios com verbos modais e soluções dos mesmos

1. Can – must – might – should – may - will - would


Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He ____________ be exhausted after such a long
flight. He_______________________ prefer to stay in tonight and get some rest.
If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you ______________ walk downtown and
explore the waterfront.
When you have a small child in the house, you ___________________ leave small objects lying around. Such
objects ______________ be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.
Hiking the trail to the peak ________________be dangerous if you are not well prepared for dramatic
weather changes. You ________________ research the route a little more before you attempt the ascent.
Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough water, they
_____________________ die.
Ned: ____________________I borrow your lighter for a minute?
Stephen: Sure, no problem. Actually, you keep it if you want to. I've given up smoking.
You look a bit confused. _____________________ I help you?
___________________you like a piece of chocolate cake?
________________________ you help me, please?
I ______________________be at the meeting by 10:00. I will probably have to take a taxi if I want to be on time.
I _________________ stop smoking.
____________________ I borrow your eraser?
You ___________________ pay attention to the class, dear students.
I said I _____________________ help you if you did your homework.
You ___________________ be joking.
________________ I have a quick word with you, Brian? It's nothing serious.
Drivers ________________________stop when the traffic lights are red.
___________________ you speak Italian? No, I ___________________.
Look at that balloon. It's over there. ____________________ you see it?

2. Completa as frases:
a) _______________________ you help me with the composition? (very polite request)
b) There are some clouds in the sky. It _____________________ rain a lot. (probability)
c) I have bad marks. I _________________________ study hard every day. (necessity)
d) __________________________________ I use your phone, please? (polite request)
e) _____________________ you like to come with me to the stadium? (polite invitation)
f) I am afraid I _____________________ help you with this homework. (negative ability)
g) Pay attention. You ________________________ make noise in classes. (prohibition)

2. 3. Analisa se as frases a seguir estão corretas ou incorretas, ou seja, se estão constituídas com o verbo
modal adequado às informações nelas contidas.

a) She can swim very well.
( ) True ( ) False
b) Can I speak to you for a moment?
( ) True ( ) False
c) He hasn't come to school. He would be ill.
( ) True ( ) False
d) Look at your shoes. They are terrible. You could but a new pair of shoes.
( ) True ( ) False
e) It was very serious. He must be dying.
( ) True ( ) False
f) You should try this food. It is better for your health.
( ) True ( ) False
g) Could you like help me in the homework?
( ) True ( ) False
h) I may paint my house because it is not difficult.
( ) True ( ) False)
i) Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry, but you mustn't park your car here.
( ) True ( ) False
j) Hello, good morning. Can I help you?
( ) True ( ) False


4. Escolha a opção que corresponda à ideia das frases em negrito.

I. My grandfather is likely to lend me the money I need.
a) My grandfather may give me the money I need.
b) My grandfather must lend me the money I need.
c) My grandfather should give the money I need.

II. Do you know how to solve the problem?
a) How may you solve the problem?
b) How can you solve the problem?
c) How must you solve the problem?

III. Perhaps the rain is stopping soon.
a) The rain can stop soon.
b) The rain must stop soon.
c) The rain may stop soon.

IV. You aren't allowed to play ball games at the library.
a) You can't play ball games at the library.
b) You would play ball games at the library.
c) You mustn't play ball games at the library

V. It's almost certain that he is in London.
a) He could be in London.
b) He must be in London.
c) He should be in London.

3. Marca a resposta correta:

5) I ................... go to see the doctor last week because I was very ill.
a) must
b) must to
c) had to

6) I ……………......... go now because I am already late for my class.
a) must
b) had
c) have to

7) I may ....................... able to come to your party if I have the time.
a) be
b) being
c) being to

8) Do you ..................... clean the house every day or every week?
a) must
b) have
c) have to

9) I ................... speak French without a problem now because I have had many lessons.
a) may
b) can
c) have

10)They ........................ do their homework today because it is a holiday at the school.
a) must not
b) don't have
c) don't have to

11) I ......... help you with your shopping because you have a lot of bags.
a) ought
b) ought to
c) thought

12) When will you ......... come and see us in our new house?
a) can
b) be able to
c) must

13) I………….......... go to Paris next week because there is a very big exhibition there.
a) mustn't
b) must
c) has to

14) SHOPAHOLICS
Psychiatrists and social scientists have various theories as to why people engage in compulsive
behaviour. Shopaholics, they suggest, could be sexually frustrated, might suffer from lack of self-esteem,
or they may just have a neurotic reaction to television commercials and glossy advertisements.

The modals COULD, MIGHT and MAY appear in the Paragraph to express the idea of:
a) permission.

4. b) possibility.
c) intention.
d) prohibition.
e) ability.


15) Assinala a alínea correspondente à alternativa que preenche corretamente as lacunas da frase
apresentada.

Janet: Look, our boat is sinking!
Peter: Oh, dear! Can you swim?
Janet: Yes, but we won't have to, there's a life boat on board.

In the above dialogue, the verbs "CAN" and "HAVE TO" express respectively .................. and ………………....... .
a) ability - obligation
b) permission - prohibition
c) possibility - prohibition
d) permission - possibility
e) ability – necessity

16) "Bob,..._____.(I)……......you do me a real favour?'
"Yes, of course."
"...............(II)………...to meet my friend Tony tomorrow at one and I'm going to be late. Could you
meet……………....(III)……………….....for me?"
"Yes, certainly, ......................(IV)........................better tell me what he looks like."

Escolhe o modal adequado para preencher a lacuna I da frase apresentada.
a) may
b) could
c) must
d) ought
e) should

17) 'Should' is the same a:
a) would
b) had to
c) ought to
d) might
e) can

5. CORREÇÃO


1)
a) must – might
b) should
c) mustn’t – can
d) can – must
e) will / might
f) May / Can
g) can
h) Can / May
i) Would
j) Can
k) must
l) will
m) May
n) should
o) would
p) must
q) May/ Can
r) must
s) Can – can’t
t) Can

2)
a) May
b) might
c) must
d) Could
e) Would
f) can’t
g) mustn’t
h) may
i) should

3)
a) True
b) False
c) False
d) False
e) True
f) True
g) False
h) True
i) True
j) False

4)
I.
My grandfather must lend me the money I need.
II.
How can you solve the problem?
III.
The rain must stop soon.
IV.
You mustn't play ball games at the library.
V.
He must be in London.

5)
had to

6)
must

7)
be

8)
have to

9)
can

10)
don't have to

11)
ought to

12)
be able to

13)
must

14)
possibility.

15)
ability – necessity

16)
could

17)
ought to