Past Modal Verbs

Past Possibility

Modal Verbs

Multiple Choice

How do you form the modal verb to represent a past meaning?

• modal verb + have + past participle

• past tense form of modal verb

Multiple Choice

Which is the correct order: the level of certainty (most certain - impossible)

• can't have, may/might have, must've

• must've, may/might have, can't have

• must've, can't have, may/might have

Multiple Choice

should've is a hypothetical modal verb, to criticize past behavior

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

the negative form of must have is must not have

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

_______ is used when something was a good idea, but didn't do it.

• should've

• must've

• shouldn't have

Multiple Choice

________ means impossibility in the past, even if you had wanted to do it.

• can't have

• could have

• might not have

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer: Experts now believe that Mrs. Redwood must've/ might've brought the plague back from India.

• must've

• might've

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer: The hotel manager must've conspired/ had to conspire with the doctor in some way.

• must've conspired

• had to conspire

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer: The British Embassy had to investigate/ should have investigated Eleanor's story more fully.

• had to investigate

• should've investigated

Multiple Choice

Which is the stressed form of the past modal verb?

• modal verb + have

  (EX: Experts now believe that Mrs. Redwood might have brought the plague back from India)

• modal verb + 've

  (Ex: Experts now believe that Mrs. Redwood might've brought the plague back from India)

Poll

What are your biggest problems with past modal verbs? (pick all that apply)

• Understanding the differences between the past modal verbs meaning

• pronouncing the weak form of have ('ve) and identifying what words are stressed

• making a sentence using the past modal verbs

• I have no problems :)

Open Ended

Write a sentence about what they should or shouldn't have done.

1. Eleanor 2. The doctor 3. the hotel manager 4. the British Embassy

*do not press enter. write sentences like 1. ... 2... 3... 4....*