Preparatory English: Vestibular

Modal Verbs Practice

1. A student shows you this dialogue:

Child: Can I play outside?
Mother: Im sure you can, but you may not.
He says Dont can and may mean the same thing? Is the kid allowed to play outside
or not?
Explain to him what the mother is saying.

2. A student shows you two sentences:

I could fix your computer.
I was able to fix your computer.
He says I am able to fix your computer is the same as I can fix your computer, isnt
it? So shouldnt they have the same meaning in the past tense too?
Explain to him the difference between the two sentences in the past tense.

3. A student shows you two sentences:

The dentist said: Your teeth are perfectly clean; you must brush them after
every meal!
The dentist said: Your teeth are terribly dirty; you must brush them after every
meal!
She says One situation is the exact opposite of the other, so why does the dentist tell
both of them that they have to clean their teeth?
Explain to her how the dentist is actually saying very different things in the two
sentences.
4. A student shows you two sentences:
The test to get your drivers licence must be pretty hard.
The test to get your drivers licence will be pretty hard.
She says I think that both of them involve some kind of strong logical conclusion. Do
they mean the same thing?
Explain to her the difference between the two sentences.

5. A student shows you two sentences:

You have to call your parents.
You ought to call your parents.
He says From what I understand, they are both obligations. Is there any difference?

6. In the sentence His mother says he may go

Explain the ambiguity in the sentence.
Comparing this sentence to His mother said he might go in terms of ambiguity.
Is it the same? Explain.