Modal Verbs · Exercises
A1Beginner practice
First steps: can / can’t for ability and permission.
Play
- Practice10 exercises at your own pace
- Time Attack60 seconds, as many as you can
- Survival3 lives, harder as you go
- Tense SortDrag sentences into their tense — 60 seconds
- Timelines10 sentences to match to their timelines
- A1 Boss12 hits before you lose 3 lives
- Irregular MatchPair verbs with their past forms — 60 seconds
Want to mix tenses, go endless or pick exercise types? Set up your own session.
What you’ll practise at A1
- Modal + base form (no -s, no to)
- Ability: can / could / be able to
- Negatives: can’t, shouldn’t, don’t have to
- Questions: Can I…? Do I have to…?
- Permission: can / can’t / may
Need a refresher? Learn the modal verbs: rules, tables and audio examples.
Sample exercises
A taste of what’s inside. In practice mode every exercise is freshly generated.
Complete the sentence. Meaning: it isn’t allowed.
You _____ park here — it’s for ambulances.
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You mustn't park here — it’s for ambulances.
mustn’t / can’t = it isn’t allowed. You mustn't park here — it’s for ambulances.
Choose the right form.
Members _____ a friend.
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Members can bring a friend.
After a modal (can, should, must, might), use the base form: no -s, no to, no -ing.
Complete the sentence. Meaning: ability.
Olivia _____ play the guitar.
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Olivia can play the guitar.
can = ability: you know how to do it. Olivia can play the guitar.
Choose the right form.
Carlos _____ dance.
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Carlos can dance.
can is the same for every person: I can, she can, they can. Carlos can dance.
Choose the right form.
Yuki _____.
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Yuki can ski.
After a modal (can, should, must, might), use the base form: no -s, no to, no -ing.
Choose the right form.
Sam _____ play the piano.
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Sam can play the piano.
can is the same for every person: I can, she can, they can. Sam can play the piano.