Материал: doichik_oia_modal_verbs_theory_and_practice
EXERCISES:
1.Rewrite the sentences with can be / could be:
1. She is bad tempered at times______________________________
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2.He was often rude when he was a boy_______________________
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3.Thinking is often helpful_________________________________
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4.It is often rainy here in summer_____________________________
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5.It was often cold when we were in London____________________
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2.Complete the sentences to express (im)possibility according to the circumstances or rules
1.You _____________ take the book, I‟m not reading it.
2.You _____________ take the book, I‟m still reading it.
3.I _____________ go with you now, I‟m busy.
4.He _____________ speak to you, he‟s free.
5.She _____________ come when I leave.
6.You _____________ smoke in this room.
7.He _____________ wait here. It‟s too cold.
8.Visitors _____________ leave their things here.
9.I _____________ speak to you at the moment, I‟m on a bus.
10.He _____________ answer your questions right now, he is out.
3.Make questions to match the situations
1.Someone is knocking at the door____________________________
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2.Someone has just taken it from here_________________________
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3.I failed to find my keys___________________________________
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4.Someone has broken the window__________________________
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5.He looks so angry_______________________________________
______________________________________________________
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4.Speak about impossible things
1.It is impossible to sleep with the open eyes____________________
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2.It is impossible to get water out of a stone___________________
_______________________________________________________
3.It is impossible to speak with your mouth closed______________
_______________________________________________________
4.It is impossible to walk to the moon__________________________
_______________________________________________________
Self-study task:
Translate the sentences:
1.Я не чую, що ти говориш. Ти надто далеко.
2.Не можна курити в приміщенні.
3.Ця квартира ідеальна, я не зміг би обрати кращу.
4.Якби ти раніше прийшла, то змогла б зустрітися з ними.
5.Хто б це міг там грати так пізно?
6.Напої можна купити внизу.
7.Ми могли взяти таксі, але ми вирішили пройтися пішки і оглянути місцеві краєвиди.
8.Як тобі вдалося її знайти серед цього мотлоху?
9.Чому це він такий засмучений?
10.Де ж можуть бути мої рукавиці? Я не можу їх ніде знайти.
11.Неможливо одночасно їсти і говорити.
12.Бігати буває дуже корисно і весело.
13.Тут буває дуже жарко влітку.
14.Він міг часто губити ключі від квартири в дитинстві.
15.Тут не можна розмовляти. Триває екзамен.
16.Ти зможеш користуватися комп‟ютером, коли я закінчу писати листа.
17.Зараз не можна телефонувати їй, уже пізно.
18.Ти б змогла вивчити англійську мову, якби захотіла.
19.Він може бути дуже переконливий, якщо захоче.
20.Підійди ближче, бо я не бачу твого обличчя.
21.Я шкодую, що не змогла дістати квитки на її концерт.
22.Де ж він міг покласти свої окуляри?
23.Тобі вдалося з‟ясувати всі подробиці справи? – Ні, не вдалося.
24.Хто це міг забрати мої речі?
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LESSON 3. PROBABILITY. CERTAINTY. DEDUCTION (SURPRISE, ASTONISHMENT, DOUBT, DISBELIEF)
To express (im)possibility / |
Take your coat it could / may / might rain |
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(im)probability / (un)certainty based on |
You‟d better phone them. |
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guessing and speculation we use the |
They could / may /might not have heard |
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following modal verbs: |
the news |
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John could / may / might have sent the |
Could |
(doubtful) |
message, I‟m not sure |
May |
(possible, but uncertain) |
Don‟t phone me at 11. I could / may / |
Might (less certain than may) |
might be sleeping |
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Can’t |
(nearly certain) |
He can’t / couldn’t / may not / mightn’t |
Couldn’t (more tentative than can) |
be at home |
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May not (possible but uncertain) |
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Might not (less certain than may) |
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To ask about possibility we use |
Might / Could / Can this be true?(Can |
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Might / Could…? |
usually denotes disbelief) |
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Can…? (if it doesn‟t sound ambiguous) |
Might / Could he leave tomorrow? (*Can |
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May…? (very rarely) |
he leave tomorrow? is less common, |
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because can=possibility is confused with |
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can=ability) |
To express deduction based on evidence |
They can’t be English. They don‟t know |
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we use: |
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the language |
Present → must + V1 (in affirmative |
You must be joking. It can’t be the truth. |
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statements) |
She must be French, she speaks French so |
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can’t + V1 (in negative |
well |
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statements). |
She can’t have fixed the phone. It‟s not |
Past → |
must have + V3 (in |
working |
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affirmative statements) |
He must have heard it before. He knows |
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can’t have + V3 (in negative |
all the details |
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statements) |
You must be hungry, you haven‟t eaten all |
Deduction suggests near-certainty. |
day |
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* Note |
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* He‟s been running, he should be very |
Deduction about the present / future |
tired now (present reference) |
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(strong probability) is sometimes |
She‟s been studying very hard, she should |
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expressed by should/shouldn’t + V1 |
pass the exam (future reference) |
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Will you come in time? – No, I think, I |
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should be late (future reference) |
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** Note |
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To express certainty about the future |
It will rain tomorrow |
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(prediction) we use will / won’t |
He won’t come so soon |
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*** Note |
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*** It has (got) to be the most stupid film |
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In AmE have to / have got to + V1 are |
I‟ve ever seen |
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sometimes used to express deduction in |
She’s (got) to be very rich to buy this |
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affirmative statements |
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house. |
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To |
express |
doubt, |
disbelief, |
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She can’t be the winner. It‟s impossible! |
astonishment as to the things that we |
He can’t have done it. He is too polite |
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consider impossible we use: |
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She couldn’t have done it! I thought she‟s |
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Present → Can’t / couldn’t + V1 |
too weak. |
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Past → Can’t / Couldn’t have + V3 |
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****Note |
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The constructions Can it be that…? / |
Can it be that she has forgotten about my |
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It cannot be that… can be used in this |
BD? / It can’t be that she has forgotten |
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type of sentences. Note, that they should |
about my BD |
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be used in sentences with negative |
Can it be that she hasn‟t read this book? / |
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meaning. |
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It can’t be that she hasn‟t read this book. |
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EXERCISES:
1.Make up statements that are not certain:
1.She is at home now______________________________________
______________________________________________________
2.He will be at home at 6___________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3.She leaves at midnight___________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4.She left yesterday______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5.He is working today____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6.He has been working all day_______________________________
_______________________________________________________
7.They will have finished the project by then___________________
________________________________________________________
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2.Express deduction based on evidence. Use can’t / must / should
1.I think it has been raining_________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2.It looks like she has missed the train_________________________
_______________________________________________________
3.I don‟t think she is the child‟s mother_______________________
_________________________________________________________
4.Evidently, he is not on the train____________________________
_______________________________________________________
5.I don‟t think she has phoned her parents______________________
_______________________________________________________
6.The exam is easy, I‟m sure you will pass it___________________
________________________________________________________
7.Obviously, she is not his wife_______________________________
________________________________________________________
8.I think he got lost and now is looking for us___________________
________________________________________________________
9.I think she has forgotten about our meeting, it‟s too late________
________________________________________________________
10.Call me tonight, I think I will be at home_____________________
________________________________________________________
Self-study task:
Translate the sentences:
1.Не може бути, щоб вона була німкеня. Вона не розмовляє німецькою.
2.Напевно, вони загубили щось по дорозі.
3.Людина не може так довго не спати. Це неправда!
4.Очевидно, вона впала і тепер не може йти.
5.Я точно прийду на виставу.
6.Напевно, вони поїдуть завтра ввечері.
7.Хіба можливо, щоб ви не зустрічалися раніше?
8.Не може бути, щоб ти не бачила цей фільм. Його уже всі бачили.
9.Швидше за все, вікно розбили злодії.
10.Можливо, він уже надіслав роботу, я не впевнена.
11.Вони могли вже це перевірити, я думаю.
12.Не вмикай радіо. Може, вона спить.
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