Central modal auxiliary verbs

Multiple-choice exercise

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