Modal Verbs Quiz

Could/would + [main verb infinitive]

Could/might/should/would + have + [main verb past participle]

It often makes sense to do it in some other way than by adding a modal verb

The new modal verb just ______ will in the sentence

The simple future, future continuous, future perfect, and future perfect continuous tenses of main verbs are all already ______ with the modal verb will

I might have ______ to the party, but I forgot.

As with the present perfect continuous, you always ______ have, even if the subject is third-person

The present perfect ______ of the main verb, which is have plus the past participle

Modal verbs show ______

Common examples of modal verbs include ______, should, and must

Modal verbs are used to express certain ______ conditions

A modal verb can appear alone in a sentence only if the main verb is implied because it has previously been ______

Modal verbs are quite common in English; you’ve seen them in action hundreds of times even if you didn’t know what they were ______

The speaker does not necessarily swim every Tuesday; they’re saying that they are ______ of swimming every Tuesday or that the possibility exists for them to swim every Tuesday

Modal verbs express very specific conditions that don’t come up often, like dare in its modal form in 'Dare I ask.' The word used in the idiomatic phrase used to, as in 'I used to be an English student too,' behaves like a modal verb with only a past tense form. When are modal verbs used. What special conditions do modal verbs indicate. Here’s a list, along with examples: Likelihood Some things seem likely to be true but can’t be stated as definite facts. In these cases, you can use the ______ verbs should and must to show probability without certainty.

Likelihood Some things seem likely to be true but can’t be stated as definite facts. In these cases, you can use the modal verbs should and must to show probability without certainty. Possibility In a situation when something is possible but not certain, use the ______ verb could, may, or might.

Ability The ______ verb can expresses whether the subject of a sentence is able to do something. Likewise, the negative form, cannot or can’t, shows that the subject is unable to do something.

Permission If you want to ask permission to do something, start your question with ______, may, or could. Traditionally, may is considered more formal and polite usage for permission; if you ask “Can I go to the bathroom.” it could be misinterpreted as “Do I have the ability to go to the bathroom.” However, in modern informal usage, may and can are both perfectly acceptable options for describing possibility or permission.

Similarly, if you want to ask someone else to do something, start your question with will, would, ______, or could.

Habit To show an ongoing or habitual action—something the subject does regularly—you can use the ______ verb would for the past tense and will for the present and future. The phrase used to is also acceptable when you’re talking about a habit in the past.

Using Modal Verbs for Different Situations

For likelihood, use ______ and must to show probability without certainty.

When something is possible but not certain, use ______.

To ask for permission, use ______, with may being more formal.

For requests, use ______.

Suggestions or advice without commanding can be expressed using ______.