Grammar for advanced students 03: Modals: present and future - Thẩm Tâm Vy

 Thẩm Tâm Vy, November 26th, 2018 GRAMMAR PRACTICE FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS ~ MODALS 
GRAMMAR PRACTICE FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 
MODALS: PRESENT AND FUTURE 
I. Don't have to and must not 
• Don’t have to refers to an absence of obligation. 
 - You don’t have to work tomorrow. 
• Must not refers to an obligation not to do something. 
 - You must not leave the room before the end of the test. 
II. Should and ought to 
Should and ought to have the same meaning where used in the examples below. 
• Expectation 
 - This film should be really good. / This film ought to be really good. 
• Recommendation 
 - I think you should / ought to talk it over with your parents. 
 In writing, should (but not ought to) can be used to express a strong obligation 
politely. 
 - Guests should vacate their rooms by midday. 
• Criticism of an action 
 - You shouldn’t / oughtn’t to eat so much late at night 
• Uncertainty 
 - Should I leave these papers on your desk? 
• Should and verbs of thinking 
 Should is often used with verbs of thinking, to make an opinion less direct. 
 - I should think that model would sell quite well 
 Should with be and adjectives describing chance 
 This group of adjectives includes odd, strange, funny (= odd) and the expression 
‘What a coincidence’. 
 - It’s strange that you should be staying in the same hotel! 
 Should after in case to emphasize unlikelihood 
 - In case I should be out, this is my mobile number. 
III. Could 
• Could is used to express possibility or uncertainty. 
 - This could be the house. 
• Could is used with comparative adjectives to express possibility or impossibility. 
 - The situation couldn’t be worse. 
 - It could be better. 
• Could is used to make suggestions. 
 - We could go to that new restaurant opposite the cinema. 
• Could is used to express unwillingness. 
 - I couldn’t possibly leave Tim here on his own. 
IV. Can 
• Can with be is used to make criticisms. 
 - You can be really annoying, you know! 
• Can is also used with be to refer to capability. 
 - Winter here can be really cold. 
V. Must and can't 
 These refer to present time only. In expressing certainty, they are opposites. 
 - This must be our stop. (I’m sure it is.) 
 - This can’t be our stop. (Tm sure it isn't.) 
VI. May and might 
• May can be used to express although clauses. 
 - She may be the boss, but that is no excuse for shouting like that. 
VII. May as well / might as well 
 This describes the only thing left to do, something which the speaker is not enthusiastic 
about. 
 - Nobody else is going to turn up now for the lesson, so you may as well go home. 
• May and might both express possibility or uncertainty. May is often used in formal 
language. 
 - The peace conference may find a solution to the problem. 
• There is an idiomatic expression with try, using may for present reference, and might 
for past or present reference. 
 - Try as I might, I could not pass my driving test. 
 (Although I tried hard, I could not pass my driving test.) 
VIII. Shall 
• Shall can be used in the first persons to emphasize something which the speaker feels 
is certain to happen or wants to happen. 
 - I shall definitely give up smoking this year. 
 - We shall win! (Shall is stressed in this sentence.) 
• In the second and third persons, shall is now only used in very formal contexts, such 
as rules and regulations. 
 - No player shall knowingly pick up or move the ball of another player. 
IX. Will 
• Will can be used to express an assumption. 
 - A: The phone's ringing: B: That'll be for me. 
• Will / won’t can be used emphatically to tell someone of the speakers intention, or to 
forbid an action, in response to a will expression.. 
 - A: I'll take the money anyway; so there! 
 B: You won't! 
 A: I will! 
 Similarly I won't can mean I refuse, and I will can mean I insist. 
 A: I won't do it! B: Yes, you will! 
X. Would 
 Would is often used in situations where a conditional sense is understood but not 
stated. 
 - Nobody would agree with that idea. (if we asked them) 
 - Life wouldn't be worth living without you. (if you weren’t there) 
 - I think Jim would be the best candidate, (if he was under consideration for the job) 
 Thẩm Tâm Vy, November 26th, 2018 GRAMMAR PRACTICE FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS ~ MODALS 
 - Sue wouldn't do that, surely! (if she was in that situation) 
XI. Need and need to 
• Need to is a modal auxiliary, and behaves like a normal verb. 
 - Do you need to use the photocopier? 
• Need is a modal auxiliary, but mainly in question and negative forms. 
 - Need you make so much noise? 
XII. Dare 
• Dare can be used in two ways. It can be an intransitive verb followed by infinitive 
with to. 
 - I didn't dare to say anything. 
 It can also be a modal auxiliary mainly in questions and negatives. 
 - She dare not refuse. How dare you! 
Related non-modal expressions 
XIII. Had better 
 This is a recommendation and refers only to the present or future. 
 - You'd better not phone her again. 
 It can be reported in the past without change of form. 
 - He told me we'd better come back another day. 
XIV. Be bound to 
 This makes a future prediction of certainty. 
 - It's bound to rain tomorrow. 
PRACTICE 
I. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. 
1. I don’t think yon could / should tell anyone yet. 
2. I couldnt i shouldn’t possibly leave without paying. 
3. That mustn’t / cant be the hotel Jane told us about. 
4. There are times when the traffic here can / could be really heavy. 
5. We are enjoying our holiday, though the weather could i must be better. 
6. You couldnt t shouldn’t really be sitting here. 
7. You could l may be older than me, but that doesn’t mean you’re cleverer. 
8. You might i should like to look over these papers if you have time. 
9. I’m afraid that nobody should / would help me in that kind of situation. 
10. No member of the association must i shall remove official documents from these 
premises without written permission. 
II. Complete the dialogue, using one word in each gap. Contractions (e.g. can't) 
count as one word. 
Bill: This (1).....................be the house, I suppose: number 16 Chu Van An. 
Jane: I pictured it as being much bigger, from the estate agent’s description. 
Bill: Well, we’d (2).....................go inside. 
Jane: We (3).....................as well. Wait a minute. I (4).....................to just find my 
glasses. I (5).....................see a thing without them. 
Bill: I don’t think much of it from the outside, to be honest. 
Jane: Yes, it (6) certainly do with a coat of paint or two. 
Bill: Rather you than me! I (7).....................like to have to paint it all! mAnd the gutters 
(8).....................replacing. 
Jane: I (9).....................think they haven’t been replaced since the house was built. 
Bill: They (10).....................really be replaced every four years ideally. 
Jane: And I don’t like that big ivy plant growing up the side. Tam Vy (11)............get in 
the brickwork and cause all sorts of damage. 
Bill: I wonder if there’s a lock on that big downstairs window? It looks very easy to 
break in to. 
Jane: There’s (12).....................to be one, surely. 
Bill: Well, (13).....................we go inside? 
Jane: Do we (14)....................to? I think I’ve seen enough already. I (15)... 
...........possibly live here. 
III. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first 
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. 
1. I couldn’t be happier at the moment. COULD 
 I’m as ...........................................at the moment 
2. Although I tried hard, I couldn’t lift the suitcase. MIGHT 
 Try...................................., I couldn’t lift the suitcase. 
3. I’m sure that Peter won’t be late. BOUND 
 Peter...................................................on time. 
4. Fancy you and I having the same surname! SHOULD 
 It’s odd ...........................................the same surname! 
5. I think you should take up jogging. WERE 
 If I ..............................................................take up jogging. 
6. It’s possible that this kind of snake is poisonous. COULD 
 This snake............................................the poisonous kinds. 
7. You can’t borrow my car! WON’T 
 I.....................................................................borrow my car! 
8. I’m sure this isn’t how you get to Norwich! CAN’T 
 This ......................................way to Norwich! 
9. It makes no difference to me if we call it off. MAY 
 We....................................................................call it off! 
10. Although it’s summer, the temperature is more like winter. MAY 
 It....................................the temperature is more like winter. 
IV. Choose the sentence (A or B) that is closest in meaning to the sentence given 
1. It’s possible that well know the answers tomorrow. ...A... 
A. We may know the answers tomorrow. 
B. We should know the answers tomorrow. 
2. I don't think you should ring him now. It’s rather late. .......... 
A. You might not ring him now. It's rather late. 
B. You’d better not ring him now. It’s rather late. 
 Thẩm Tâm Vy, November 26th, 2018 GRAMMAR PRACTICE FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS ~ MODALS 
3. You needn’t come if you don’t want to. .......... 
A. You won’t come if you don’t want to. 
B. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. 
4. I think it’s wrong for you to work so hard. ......... 
A. You don’t have to work so hard. 
B. You shouldn’t work so hard. 
5. Perhaps these are the keys. ......... 
A. These might be the. keys. 
B. These must be the keys. 
6. It would be wrong for us to lock the cat in the house for a week ......... 
A. We’d better not lock the cat in the house for a week. 
B. We can’t lock the cat in the house for a week. 
7. It’s possible that the decision will be announced next week. ......... 
A The decision might be announced next week. 
B The decision will be announced next week. 
8. Although I try hard, I can never solve The Times crossword. ......... 
A. Try as I may, I can never solve The Times crossword. 
B. Try as I can, I may never solve The Times crossword. 
9. I know. Why don’t we go out to eat instead?........ 
A. I know. We must go out to eat instead. 
B. I know. We could go out to eat instead. 
10. Using Punter’s Paints couldn’t be easier........ 
A. You may as well use Punter’s Paints. 
B. You should find Punter’s Paints easy to use. 
11. Peter often really annoys people. ....... 
A. Peter can be really annoying. 
B. Try as he might, Peter annoys people. 
12. Jane wouldn’t talk about people like that, surely! ....... 
A. Jane didn’t want to talk about people like that. 
B. Jane isn’t the kind of person to talk about people like that 
V. Complete each sentence with a phrase from the list below. 
couldn’t be - wouldn’t be - I might - don’t have to - couldn’t possibly 
must be - must like - need to - may be - might as well 
1. The heating comes on automatically You.....don’t have to.... turn it on. 
2. Of course I’ll help! I ..........................let you do it on your own. 
3. It’s a lovely hotel And the staff.........................more helpful 
4. George...............................it there if he has stayed there for so long. 
5. You...............................right, but I’m still not convinced. 
6. We...............................go in this museum. There’s nothing else to do. 
7. I love these trees. Without them the garden.......................the same. 
8. There’s the phone call I was expecting. It...........................George. 
9. Thanks. And now you just.............................sign on the dotted line. 
10. Try as.............................I simply couldn’t open the lid. 
VI. Complete the text, using one word in each gap. Contractions (e.g. mustn't) 
count as one word. 
 I (1) might as welladmit it - I’m one of those peoplewho run in marathons dre seed as 
a duck, it’s not normally something you (2)...........want to admit to your frlends, but I 
(3).............imagine life without running in my Donaid Duck costume. You’re probably 
thinking I (4)............bean idiot who just wants to show off, and well, you (5)............be 
right, I suppose! And you (6)............think that running so far was hard enough, without 
the silly costume! I (7)...........to admit that I do enjoy the laughter as I run past, but 
that’s only part of it. I (8)..........look silly, but it’s all in a good cause, as I run to raise 
money for children’s charities - people promise to give me money for running in the 
race. I (9).............cheerfully run for hours tn the rain because I’m doing something 
useful. Call me mad (10)..............you like, but I’d far (11)..............run through the 
streets dressed as a duck (12).............sit at home and watch the race on television. 
Some of the other runners (13 )............be a bit mad too ~ I | (14).............be the only 
duck to be narrowly beaten in a race by three gorillas in bikinis. I (15).............miss 
charity marathons for all the world! 
ANSWER KEY