Types of modality: test

Multiple-choice test
ELT Concourse Home

Choose the best answer. In some cases, there are two possible correct responses.

  1. We have to arrive early to get a seat.
    1.   epistemic
    2.   alethic
    3.   dynamic
    4.   deontic
  2. It's my turn to pay, isn't it?
    1.   dynamic
    2.   deontic
    3.   alethic
    4.   epistemic
  3. Could you speak French before you lived in Paris?
    1.   dynamic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   alethic
    4.   deontic
  4. Silence: Examination in Progress
    1.   dynamic
    2.   deontic
    3.   alethic
    4.   epistemic
  5. He seems to be getting old rather quickly.
    1.   epistemic
    2.   deontic
    3.   alethic
    4.   dynamic
  6. If you would follow me, please.
    1.   epistemic
    2.   dynamic
    3.   alethic
    4.   deontic
  7. He might be there already.
    1.   deontic
    2.   dynamic
    3.   epistemic
    4.   alethic
  8. Could I ask a question, please?
    1.   dynamic
    2.   alethic
    3.   epistemic
    4.   deontic
  9. You ought to telephone your mother. She'll be worried sick.
    1.   alethic
    2.   dynamic
    3.   epistemic
    4.   deontic
  10. Patently, that's false.
    1.   dynamic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   deontic
    4.   alethic
  11. Pure modal auxiliary verbs cannot co-occur in English.
    1.   dynamic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   alethic
    4.   deontic
  12. That can't be his mother; she's too young.
    1.   alethic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   dynamic
    4.   deontic
  13. I'll cook, if you like.
    1.   deontic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   alethic
    4.   dynamic
  14. May I enquire who you are?
    1.   deontic
    2.   epistemic
    3.   dynamic
    4.   alethic
  15. I really must get this toothache seen to.
    1.   epistemic
    2.   deontic
    3.   alethic
    4.   dynamic