Note that these verbs, like all modal verbs, are followed by an infinitive without to.ĭo this exercise to test your grammar again. It can't be easy for him, looking after three kids on his own. We use can't when we feel sure that something is not possible. They all have the same meaning, but may is more formal than might and could. We regret to inform you that some services may be delayed due to the bad weather. We use might, may or could to say that we think something is possible but we're not sure. You must be freezing out there! might, may, could He must live near here because he always walks to work.Ĭome inside and get warm. We use must when we feel sure that something is true or it's the only realistic possibility. This page focuses on making deductions about the present or future. The modal verb we choose shows how certain we are about the possibility. We can use modal verbs for deduction – guessing if something is true using the available information. However, when we are recounting a story in a more informal setting (such as telling a joke or a sharing an anecdote), we can use present forms to give a sense of immediacy and to bring the. Modals – deduction (present): Grammar test 1 In fact, the verb forms past simple, past continuous, past perfect simple and past perfect continuous are collective sometimes known as 'narrative tenses'. You can't be bored already! You've only been here five minutes. They might be at work or they could be in the car. Oliver: No, not really.Look at these examples to see how must, might, may, could and can't can be used. Imagine, three days in the jungle! I can’t imagine my mum doing that. Trekking in Chiang Mai for three days.Īlfie: Wow – that beats going to college. See you Sunday.Īlfie: Is your mum in Thailand this week? Listen, ask Daisy to phone me later, OK? The number of the hotel is on the fridge and I’m in room 37. I’m off to Chiang Mai tomorrow to do a three-day trek. Sophie: Not bad, but Thailand’s really hot at this time of year. He thinks chess is a sport! Well, he watches football on the telly sometimes, but he doesn’t play any sports.Īlfie: Mmm.

He works in the bookshop all day Saturday and he goes out with his mates from the book club on Saturday evenings.Īlfie: Whoa! Book club? So, he loves old films and books!? Mmm. Do you go out together at the weekends?ĭaisy: That’s just it, it’s tricky. Oliver: Yeah, and they’re not just really old films, Alfie, they watch foreign ones with subtitles too!Īlfie: Well, there’s always the weekend. I mean, I like him a lot, but it’s impossible! During the week I have swimming practice on Mondays, I do taekwondo on Tuesdays and tennis on Thursdays.Īlfie: Do you see him on Wednesdays, then?ĭaisy: No, he watches black and white films at his cinema club on Wednesdays.

Present simple modal verbs exercises