2.5.4: Sentence Formation with Present and Future Modal Exercises

Sentence Formation with Present and Future Modal Exercises

Exercise 39:  In the following series of exercises, make sentences with the modal verbs at the top of each exercise and the verb phrase given, please.

A:  Can or can not

1.  I --------------- eat 10 hamburgers.

2.  My mother --------------- cook better than I can.

3.  Women -------------- usually clean the house better than men can.

4.  I --------------- learn English.

5.  With an education, people -------------- earn more money than without an education.

6.  Most people in this classroom -------------- speak Chinese.

7.  Because we come to class, we --------------- sleep late in the morning.

8.  My mother --------------- speak English.

9.  My father --------------- drive a car.

10.  My teacher -------------- teach English.

B:  Will or Won’t

1.  I --------------- come to class tomorrow.

2.  My teacher --------------- wear jeans to class tomorrow.

3.  Someone --------------- open the door to this room tomorrow morning.

4.  My teacher --------------- correct my homework assignment tonight.

5.  President Obama -------------- teach this class tomorrow.

6.  It --------------- rain next week in Seattle.

7.  It --------------- be cold outside next August.

8.  I -------------- study hard in order to learn English.

9.  I -------------- buy a car next week.

10.  We --------------- see each other tomorrow morning.

C:  Should or Should Not

1.  Students --------------- come to class every day and on time.

2.  People --------------- drink alcohol and drive their cars.

3.  Everyone --------------- eat healthy food.

4.  No one --------------- eat junk food every day.

5.  Children -------------- obey their parents and grandparents.

6.  Students -------------- skip lines in my class when doing homework.

7.  Old people -------------- be careful when walking on snow and ice.

8.  Smoking is bad for the health, so people -------------- smoke.

9.  No one --------------- play with guns and matches.

10.  Everyone --------------- be careful with guns and fire.

D:  May, May Not or Might, Might Not

1.  It -------------- rain next week.

2.  My son ------------- call home next week.

3.  I --------------- eat in a restaurant tonight.

4.  My students --------------- have homework tomorrow.

5.  We --------------- have an exam next week.

6.  The moon --------------- be bright tonight.

7.  My teacher --------------- wear a tie to school tomorrow.

8.  I -------------- have to buy gas for my car tomorrow afternoon.

9.  I bought a lottery ticket, so I --------------- be a millionaire next week.

10.  Some people --------------- visit me this weekend.

E:  Can or Could

1.  I --------------- play with my friends when I was a young child.

2.  Some rich people -------------- spend a lot of money and not worry about it.

3.  My friends and I --------------- spend a lot of time doing nothing a long time ago.

4.  Young boys --------------- make a lot of noise.

5.  My mother -------------- cook good Italian food when she was alive.

6.  When I was a boy, I --------------- help my grandparents around their house.

7.  Every year your teacher -------------- make a very nice garden.

8.  Everyone wishes that they --------------- do some things differently in their lives.

9.  Both of my sons -------------- play the piano.

10.  When my sons were young, they --------------- get into places free. 

F:  Must and Either Have To or Has To (First with “must,” then ‘have to” or “has to.”)

1.  Children ----------- go to school, and they -------------------- study.

2.  Today I --------------- go to the market because I ------------------ buy some groceries.

3.  My son --------------- practice his piano because he ------------------- play at a wedding next week.

4.  Mothers --------------- take care of their children, and they ------------------- cook food for them.

5.  My sister -------------- take her husband to the doctor’s office, and then she ------------------ wait for him.

6.  I ------------- write my homework assignments and then my students ------------------- do them.

7.  I have a problem with my car, so I -------------- take it to a mechanic.  He will ------------------- fix whatever is broken.

8.  My student --------------- get a haircut, and her hairdresser ------------------ cut it for her.

9.  My sister and niece -------------- prepare dinner for a party.  Before they cook the food, they

--------------go shopping.

10.  Every day I --------------- assign homework to my students and then I --------------- correct the homework assignments.

11.  My son --------------- (help out) around the house.  For example, he --------------- (mow) the lawn and take the dog for walks. 

G:  Would Rather and Had Better in the Negative (Put NOT after these two quasi-modals to make the negative.  They are both either the present tense or the future tense; THEY ARE NOT THE PAST TENSE.)

Change these sentences to the negative, please.  Write out the complete sentence.  Don’t just write in the word not.

1.  I would rather stay home this evening.

2.  You had better come to class tomorrow.

3.  My son would rather play the piano than the violin.

4.  You had better continue taking that medicine.

5.  Your teacher would rather wear a sweater than a tie.

6.  You had better change your clothes when you go to work.

7.  My son would rather eat hot peppers.

8.  You had better drink coffee before you go to work.

9.  I would rather sleep late in the morning.

10.  We had better take our vacation soon.

11.  The students had better go to the party.

Exercise 40:  Answer the following questions, please.

1.  Where might you be living when you are 65 years old?

2.  What should you do every night?

3.  Would you rather watch football on TV or watch a movie?

4.  When had you better do this assignment?

5.  How many languages can you speak?

6.  What time will you go to bed this evening?

7.  What have you got to do before you come back to this class next Friday?

8.  How old will you be on your next birthday?

9.  What do you have to do before you next Monday?

10.  What had you better do before you take an examination?

11.  Who could you play with when you were a child?

12.  What may you do on Sunday morning?

13.  When are you supposed to come back to school next?