Modal Verbs · Exercises
B2Upper intermediate practice
Guessing with must / can’t and should have done.
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
- B2 Boss12 hits before you lose 3 lives
- Irregular MatchPair verbs with their past forms — 60 seconds
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What you’ll practise at B2
- Ability: can / could / be able to
- Negatives: can’t, shouldn’t, don’t have to
- Questions: Can I…? Do I have to…?
- Advice: should / ought to / had better
- Obligation: must / have to / had to
- mustn’t or don’t have to?
- Possibility: might / may / could
- Deduction: must / might / can’t be
- Past modals: should have, must have, can’t have
- Passive: must be done, can’t have been done
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.
Choose the passive form.
Phones _____ (switch) off during the exam.
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Phones must be switched off during the exam.
Passive with a modal: modal + be + past participle (about the past: modal + have been + participle). Phones must be switched off during the exam.
Complete the sentence. Meaning: it isn’t necessary.
Ben _____ look after his little brother at the weekend.
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Ben doesn't have to look after his little brother at the weekend.
don’t have to = it isn’t necessary (but you can if you want). Ben doesn't have to look after his little brother at the weekend.
Write a modal verb. Meaning: it isn’t necessary.
Julia _____ get up early at the weekend.
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Julia doesn't have to get up early at the weekend.
don’t have to = it isn’t necessary (but you can if you want). Julia doesn't have to get up early at the weekend.
Write the passive.
The plants _____ (should / water) twice a week.
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The plants should be watered twice a week.
Passive with a modal: modal + be + past participle (about the past: modal + have been + participle). The plants should be watered twice a week.
Complete the sentence. Meaning: maybe.
She _____ need some help.
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She could need some help.
might / may / could = maybe: it’s possible, but not certain. She could need some help.
Write the passive.
Your password _____ (should / change) every few months.
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Your password should be changed every few months.
Passive with a modal: modal + be + past participle (about the past: modal + have been + participle). Your password should be changed every few months.