MODAL VERBS CAN, MAY MUST AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS

CAN AND TO BE ABLE TO

 

Ex. 1 (elementary). A. Make these sentences interrogative and negative.

 

1. He can skate. 2. Ben and Jess can come at five. 3. We can go to the cinema tonight. 4. My brother can play chess. 5. The children could stay with us over the week-end. 6. They can work here. 7. Hilda can cook cabbage soup. 8. You could write with this pen. 9. The kids could play with this dog. 10. Mummy can help you later.

B. Answer the questions and finish the situation according to the model:

E.g.: I can speak English and what about you? – I can speak English too (I can’t speak English but …).

 

1. V. Klychko can fight and what about you? 2. F. Kirkorov can sing and what about you? 3. Your teacher can speak English and what about you? 4. George Bush can rule the USA and what about you? 5. I can translate articles on economy without a dictionary and what about you? 6. I can memorize long pieces of information quickly and what about you? 7. I can work anywhere and what about you? 8. I can come to classes fifteen minutes earlier and what about you? 9. I can do fifty sit-ups without a break and what about you? 10. I can make good practical jokes and what about you?

 

C. Ask your own questions according to the model in part B to your partner

 

Ex. 2. Choose the correct form from the brackets.

 

1. I (can’t/am not able) remember his name. 2. Diana (can/can to) play the piano. 3. You’ll be able to solve this, (can you/will you/won’t you)? 4. Sorry, Professor, I (wasn’t able to/couldn’t/haven’t been able to) do it yet. 5. She (can’t/could/’ll be able to) come on holiday next month if her parents allow her. 6. He (will be able to/can/ would be able to) pass the exam if he studies harder. 7. They (couldn’t/can’t/wasn’t able to) go. The weather was bad. 8. Can you lend me some money? – Sorry, I (can’t/am not able to). I haven’t got any either. 9. The boat sank but luckily the people (were able to/could/wasn’t able to) save themselves. 10. We (couldn’t/won’t be able/will not can) go to the party. We’re going to the wedding.

 

Ex. 3. Choose can or to be able to.

 

1. I haven’t ________ concentrate recently at work.. 2. My brother ________ cook very well. He is a chef in a French cafe. 3. When he was only 2, my friend Lee ________ speak quite well. 4. I have to go to a business dinner tomorrow night so I ________ not come to the party. Sorry. 5. Kevin has lived in Italy for six years, so he must ________ speak Italian quite well. 6. This telephone is terrible. I ________ (not) hear you at all. 7. Despite the storm they ________ finish the football match. 8. When the car drove into the lake, we ________ (not) open the door and had to be rescued. 9. When I was a small kid, I ________ touch my toes, but I ________ (not) now. 10. The house was empty all day yesterday and I ________ finish my book. 11. My grandfather was the best musician of the town and ________ play the piano like a professional. 12. I hope I ________ speak English well after the trip to England.

 

Ex. 4. Translate.

 

1. Хто може перекласти це речення? 2. Хто з вас може піти у кіно завтра вранці? – Ніхто з нас не може. 3. Можна увійти? 4. Чи можу я узяти ваш підручник на хвилинку? –Авжеж, можете. 5. Чи не могли б ви мені допомогти? – Будь ласка. 6. Чи зміг він вас зустріти? – Ні, не зміг. 7. Чи не змогли б ви зробити це сьогодні? – Думаю, змогла б. 8. Я теж хотів піти до клубу, але не зміг. 9. Вона вміє добре танцювати, але зараз вона не може. 10. Вони змогли обговорити це питання вчора вранці. 11. Можна запитати вас про це? – Так. 12. Я зможу повернути вам книгу завтра вранці. 13. Він не зміг зрозуміти, чому усі були засмучені. 14. Він зможе повірити вам, коли побачить докази.

 

MAY

 

Ex. 1. Answer the questions and give your reason or encouragement.

E.g.: May I wait for him here? – Yes, you may, come in here (No, you may not, because we are living).

 

1. May I smoke here? 2. May we take our exam before the settled date? 3. May we try another method of explaining the rule? 4. May we go sightseeing now? 5. May I cross the street here? 6. May I take this seat? 7. May I call you this evening? 8. May I join you? 9. May I take your notebook? 10. May we leave earlier?

 

Ex. 2. Insert the verbs can or may in the necessary forms.

 

1. She _______ recite long poems when she was six. 2. You _______ (not) take the books out of the reading hall. 3. He hated himself for his behaviour, but he _______ do nothing to change it. 4. _______ I come in for a moment, professor? 5. _______ I take your pen, Jill? 6. She _______ do it. I don’t believe you. 7. I _______ help him, but I didn’t know he needed help. 8. You _______ (not) know what is important. 9. Dad said I _______ take a candy. 10. Do you hate me? – How _______ I hate you? 11. _______ you work without any break? 12. _______ I come and see you from time to time? 13. Of course, I _______ be imagining it, but I don’t think so. 14. She _______ see no harm in smoking. 15. Who said that the boy _______ speak English?

 

Ex. 3. Translate.

 

1. Спитайте, чи зможе вона піти з нами. 2. Діти можуть легко вигадувати різні історії. 3. Ви можете узяти словник. 4. Ви, можливо, знаєте, що вона погано почувається. 5. Ця книга ще може знадобитись вам. 6. Чи не могли б ви допомогти мені? Може, у вас є вільна хвилинка? 7. Як ви могли глузувати з нього? 8. Нажаль, ніхто не зміг вас попередити. 9. Можна мені цукерку? – Не можна, ти вже їх багато з’їв. 10. Можливо, колись вона була дуже вродливою. 11. Мати сказала, що її син може запросити друзів. 12. Я знав, що не можу йому вірити. 13. Ви можете на нього покластись. 14. Не міг він цього сказати! 15. Ми не можемо виходити. Іде дощ. 16. Можливо вони повірять тобі.

 

 

MUST, TO HAVE TO AND TO BE TO

 

Ex. 1 (elementary). Make these sentences interrogative and negative.

 

A. 1. We must study a lot. 2. I must buy some bread. 3. You must go there at once. 4. You must run very fast. 5. They must speak louder.6. The child must drink milk. 7. You must come before it’s dark. 8. We must speak to him now. 9. You must take the books with you. 10. He must stop eating honey.

 

B. 1. You have to pay for the books. 2. He has to get up early. 3. He had to stay in hospital after the operation. 4. We’ll have to explain him the rule. 5. Ron has to call the doctor. 6. We had to change trains in Bath. 7. We’ll have to discuss this issue later. 8. Tina and Jo have to keep to a diet. 9. They have to do something about their health. 10. She had to help her younger brother.

 

Ex. 2. A. Answer the questions according to the model and give your reasons for it.

E.g.: Must I go there by an early train? (to take the 10:30) – No, you needn’t. You may/can take the 10:30.

Must we finish it today? (yes, to have no time) – Yes, you must. We have no time.

Must my daughter buy a sack of potatoes? (no, to be too heavy) – No, she mustn’t. It’s too heavy.

 

1. Must I make up my mind today? (to give an answer tomorrow) 2. Must we invite our colleagues to the party? (yes, to be impolite to ignore somebody) 3. Must I explain her how to use this machine? (to read the instructions) 3. Must I phone your mother? (no, to be too late) 4. Must I follow your advice? (to do as you please) 5. Must we cross the road here? (no, heavy traffic) 6. Must they stay after classes? (to go home) 7. Must I take all the medicine with me? (yes, not to recover completely) 8. Must they pay all the money now? (yes, to be arranged beforehand) 9. Must I let them know at once? (tomorrow) 10. Must I tell granny the news? (no, to get too excited) 11. Must I go to his place to discuss the plan? (to phone)

 

B. Complete the situations using the verb to be to according to the model.

E.g.: I can’t go to the cinema with you. (to be at hospital at 5) – I am to be at hospital at 5.

 

1. He won’t be present at the meeting tomorrow. (to take his first exam) 2. I had to go home because my mother was ill. (my assistant, to continue my work) 3. I didn’t expect to find her at home. (to return only on Monday) 4. You needn’t start working at once, (but, to finish it in three days) 5. We’ll have to get up very early (to leave at 6:30) 6. Greg was waiting for Barb at the station (she, to join him, on the trip) 7. We didn’t want to start without him. (he, to introduce the participants of the discussion) 8. Jane left two days earlier than May. (but, to meet in Rome on the same day) 9. Don’t entertain the child. (he, to go to bed in 10 minutes) 10. Be at the office before 8. (the delegation, to arrive at 8:30)

 

Ex. 3. Fill in the blanks using must, to have to and to be to.

 

1. You ______ be kind to a kid. 2. ‘Have you got a book?’ ‘Yes, but it’s not mine, I ______ to return it next week.’ 3. He ______ (not) forget, that his brother follows him in everything. 4. You ______ (not) go there today. According to the plan, you ______ go there later. 5. She has broken her leg and ______ stay in bed for two weeks. 6. He ______ (not) go far to find her, she was in the yard. 7. He ______ join us later. 8. As far as I understood, we ______ meet at the station tomorrow. 9. He felt that he ______ speak to her. 10. If you wanted to see him, you ______ visit him yourself. 11. I ______ be there by 10:00. I ______ take a taxi if I want to be on time. 12. ______ I come myself to discuss the matter or can my assistant do it? 13. When ______ meet? Have you decided? 14. You ______ come at once. I need your advice. 15. We could work no more. We ______ have a rest. 16. Students ______ come ready for the lesson. 17. They ______ (not) have that key. They can lose it. 18. I lost my way and ______ drive a mile. 19. We ______ dine together and then go to the opera. 20. You ______ (not) forget to pay the rent tomorrow. The landlord is strict.

 

Ex. 4. Translate.

 

1. Нам потрібно було повертатись того ж самого дня. 2. Їй доведеться виїхати з цього будинку. 3. Йому не довелось вибирати, бо він прийшов надто пізно. 4. Ми поїхали туди поїздом і повинні були повернутись літаком. 5. Він повинен був іти до лікаря у понеділок. 6. Вам не можна розмовляти після операції. 7. Ми не повинні забувати про це. 8. Йому доведеться погодитись з нашим рішенням. 9. Ви завжди повинні пам’ятати про свій обов’язок. 10. Ми повинні були чекати на неї біля виходу з метро. 11. Вона повинна подзвонити після чотирьох. 12. Коли ви розмовляєте з людиною, ви повинні уважно слухати. 13. Це був останній автобус. Вам доведеться іти до станції пішки. 14. Це повинно було трапитись. 15. Він повинен був це зробити.