Central modal auxiliary verbs

Multiple-choice exercise

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  1. 'can' expresses
    1.   ability, logical deduction, possibility and requests
    2.   ability, permission, possibility and past ability
    3.   ability, permission, possibility and requests
  2. 'would' can express
    1.   requests and possibilities
    2.   past habits and requests
    3.   personal characteristics and permission
  3. 'I couldn't see what he was driving at.'
    1.   is the use of 'could' for past ability
    2.   is the use of 'could' for expressing a complaint
    3.   is the use of 'could' for logical deduction
  4. 'If you will just wait outside for a few minutes.'
    1.   is the use of 'will' in a conditional clause
    2.   is the use of 'will' for intentional future
    3.   is the use of 'will' for polite requests
  5. 'I'm tired and it must be getting late.'
    1.   is a use of must which can be negated with 'needn't' or 'don't have to'
    2.   is a use of 'must' to express a logical deduction
    3.   is a use of 'must' to express strong advice
  6. 'would' can be used to express requests
    1.   Only when the request is based on a current or past habit
    2.   False
    3.   True
  7. 'could', when used for asking permission, is
    1.   considered more polite than 'can'
    2.   considered more polite than 'might'
    3.   a reference to someone's ability to do something in the future
  8. 'I ought to write to my mother.'
    1.   expresses strong advice
    2.   expresses strong obligation
    3.   expresses a sense of duty rather than obligation
  9. The first-person use of 'should' is considered more formal than the use of 'would' in contingent uses.
    1.   False
    2.   Only in US English
    3.   True
  10. 'You would have been able to do it if you'd done your revision.'
    1.   is 'would' used to express likelihood
    2.   is a double use of 'would' in a conditional sense
    3.   is a common use of 'would' to express contingency in conditionals
  11. 'must' is used informally for strong advice.
    1.   False
    2.   True
    3.   Only in British English
  12. It is possible to omit the 'to' after 'ought'
    1.   when it is used to express advice
    2.   False
    3.   when it is used to express negative obligation
  13. 'May your life together be a long and happy one.'
    1.   expresses possibility
    2.   is an odd, formal subjunctive use of the modal
    3.   expresses permission
  14. 'You might try speaking French to him.' expresses
    1.   a possibility
    2.   a suggestion
    3.   a complaint
  15. The negative of 'must' for denying permission
    1.   can be expressed using 'couldn't'
    2.   can be expressed using 'don't have to'
    3.   can be expressed using 'can't'
  16. 'She must be here soon - it's getting late.'
    1.   expresses strong possibility
    2.   expresses a firm logical deduction
    3.   expresses strong advice
  17. 'Careful. There might be a snake in the hall.'
    1.   is the use of 'might' that implies greater likelihood than 'could'
    2.   is the use of 'might' to refer to permission
    3.   is the use of 'might' to refer to unlikely present possibility
  18. 'I could have left my car in his garage.'
    1.   is the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.' when referring to ability
    2.   is the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.' when referring to possibility
    3.   is always the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.'
  19. 'should' can express
    1.   permission, advice or obligation
    2.   advice, possibility or permission
    3.   advice, obligation, or deduction
  20. 'You might have told me.' and 'You could have told me.' express
    1.   past possibility only
    2.   complaints or past possibility
    3.   complaints only