Stone arches in Wahweap Window in Utah, USA

Activities: “What are modal verbs in English?”

By: Anna Classing
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Build a sentence

Find the best way to continue each sentence.

We can play any day of the week.
I clearly remember it was Saturday. Besides, the court is closed on Sundays.
I heard you play really well.
It was the only day I was off that week.
It’s your last chance to practice before the final.
I am not sure yet. It depends on the weather and the court availability.
The weather was perfect, and the court was free, but you insisted on going to the gym instead.
The court is closed for the weekend.

  1. We might play tennis on Sunday.

    2. I am not sure yet. It depends on the weather and the court availability.

  2. We could have played tennis on Sunday.

    3. The weather was perfect, and the court was free, but you insisted on going to the gym instead.

  3. We don’t have to play tennis on Sunday.

    4. We can play any day of the week.

  4. We should play tennis on Sunday.

    5. I heard you play really well.

  5. We can’t play tennis on Sunday.

    6. The court is closed for the weekend.

  6. We must play tennis on Sunday.

    7. It’s your last chance to practice before the final.

  7. We couldn’t have played tennis on Sunday.

    8. I clearly remember it was Saturday. Besides, the court is closed on Sundays

  8. We must have played tennis on Sunday.

    9. It was the only day I was off that week.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks

Look at the pictures and fill in the gaps with appropriate modal verbs. More than one answer is possible for each gap.

  • You ride a scooter on this road.

    A green street sign reading "road open to." Underneath, this a graphic of a bike, a person in a wheelchair, a person on a scooter, and two people running hand-in-hand.

  • You swim in the area.

    A red and white warning sign. A heading reads "Be alert!" Smaller text, below, reads "Alligators and snakes live in most Florida waterways. Use caution and keep your distance." The sign also contains large grayscale drawings of a large snake and the head of an alligator.

  • Yousmile in this place.

    A yellow sign has a graphic of a smiley face. It reads "SMILE! You're on camera!"

  • Elderly people cross the road here.

    A triangular sign over a rectangular one. The triangular sign has a red border and a graphic of two hunched people, on of whom has a cane. The bottom sign contains text: "Elderly people"

  • You hear three long sounds before an explosion.

    A white rectangular sign. A red heading says "Warning! Explosives in use!" and the rest of the sign (black) reads "One-to-two minutes before blast: THREE LONG SOUNDS. All clear after blast: ONE LONG SOUND."

  • You go faster than 25 mph on this road.

    A photo of a speed limit sign reading "Speed limit 25"

  • You step onto ice here.

    A rectangular sign reading "Danger," (in red) "thin ice, keep off" (in black)

Activity 3: Is it likely?

Look at the picture and say how likely, in your opinion, the statements are, using modal verbs. Often more than one answer is possible.

    • She be saying “yes.”

    • He have planned it all in advance.

    A photo of a public marriage proposal. The man is on one knee holding up the ring and the woman is standing in front of him, smiling and covering her smile with her hands. Both are wearing white flowing tops and blue pants. They are standing in front of a pond in a city park and they're surrounded by roses. On a bridge over the pond behind them, a series of signs read "Will you marry me?" Each sign contains only one letter of the message.

    • This be her third birthday.

    • She blow out the candle by herself.

    A photo of a toddler sitting in front of a cupcake with a birthday candle shaped like the number 1.

    • There be water inside the houses.

    • The cars escape without damage.

    A photo of a flooded street. The water is about halfway up the first floor of the homes and has mostly covered the cars. The buildings are made of stone and have old-fashioned slate roofs.

    • The tree have been blown down by strong winds.

    • This accident be covered by insurance.

    A photo of wine red sedan that has been in an accident. A large tree has fallen on top of it. The street is wet, and it looks like the tree has probably fallen over in a storm. The car is clearly damaged, but the back half of the car is intact.

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