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GRAMMAR

MODAL VERBS (3) AND REVISION

Possibility/Probability

We use must, might, can't, could to express how possible or probable something is:

Where is John? He might be in his office.

(It's possible)

Hermann isn't at school today. He must be ill.

(It's probable)

He can't be at work. His car is still at home.

(It's not probable)

What is that strange noise? It could be the washing machine.

(It's possible)

What is that strange smell? Hermann is cooking something.

(It's certain)

POSSIBILITY - PROBABILITY - CERTAINTY

might be

possible (about 50%)

may be
could be
must be
can't be
to be

certain (100%)

The past forms of these modal verbs are:

Might have + past participle

He might have been ill.

May have + past participle

She may have eaten the soup.

Could have + past participle

It could have been John.

Must have + past participle

If he wasn't at work, he must have been ill.

Can't have + past participle

He can't have robbed the bank. He was at home!

To be (past form)

It wasn't John. He was at home.

Practice 1
Re-write the second sentences to have a similar meaning using a modal verb (have to, must,
can, could, can’t, may, should). You must decide if the meaning is possibility, obligation,
advice or probability:

A) I'm not sure where he is. He sometimes goes to the pet shop.

He .................................................................................... be in the pet shop.

B) What are those white pieces? I don't believe it is snowing in August!

What are those white pieces? It ......................................... be snowing in August!

C) Students are reminded that they are to wear pink shorts at all times.

Students ....................................................................... wear pink shorts at all times.

D) Trying to use that dangerous cutting machine when you are drunk is a bad idea.

You .............................................. use that cutting machine when you are drunk.

E)  Nobody else has my special talent for eating so many cakes.
      I  ........................................................... eat more cakes than anyone else.
F)  I don't have any problem with you marrying her.

You .................................................................... marry her if you like.

G) After you pay once at the ticket office, everything else is free.

You ...................................................... pay for anything after the ticket office.

Practice 2
Now re-write the first sentence, but using a past form:

1) PRESENT: I have to wear pink shorts at school; I have no choice!

PAST:

I ........................................... wear pink shorts when I was at school

2) PRESENT: I can swim 250 metres in 1 minute (if a shark is chasing me)

PAST:

I ............................... swim 250m in 1 minute when a shark chased me.

3) PRESENT: What is it? It might be a kind of alien coffee-making machine.
PAST:

Nobody knew what it was. It .......................................... a kind of

alien coffee-making machine.

4) PRESENT: I don't really know where he is. He could be in the bathroom.

PAST: I didn't really know where he was. He ..................................... in

the bathroom

5) PRESENT: You should take a warm coat if you travel to the planet Pluto.

PAST: He .............................................. a warm coat, but he didn't and he froze to death in

0.02 seconds.

6) PRESENT: If he's not here, he must be at work.

PAST:

He wasn't there, so I thought he ..................................................... at work.

7) PRESENT: I don't believe that he read the book so quickly.

PAST: He ......................................................... read the book so quickly.

Revision: Reported speech
Re-write these reported sentences in direct speech. What was originally said?

1) Jimmy told the policeman that their cat had been eaten the previous day.

.....................................................................................................................

2) The headmaster said that the boys can pass the exam if they study.

.....................................................................................................................

3) I said that I had posted the letter two days previously.

.....................................................................................................................

4) They said they had been thinking about the decision for a long time.

.....................................................................................................................

5) He says that he can fly like Superman.

...........................................................................................................

VOCABULARY

THE SENSES

Practice 1
Match the verbs to a part of the body:

VERBS

PART OF THE BODY

sniff

ears

hear

mouth

listen

nose

touch

skin/fingers

stare

eyes

smell
taste
sneeze
feel
look
watch
see

UWAGA Some sense verbs are very similar, but there are important differences. Look at the
examples:

1) I can SMELL something nice. Are you cooking?
My dog SNIFFED the flower.
2) I can HEAR something strange. What is that noise?

I've written a new song. LISTEN to this ...

3) I FELT something strange on my arm. It was a spider!

This material is very soft. Here, TOUCH it.

4) I SAW a good film on TV last night.

I don't WATCH TV.
If you see someone with a strange face, you mustn't STARE. It's rude.
LOOK at that! It's a dog with five legs!

Practice 2
1)  This soup ...................... strange. Did you put too much salt in it?
2)  What is that horrible ......................?  Are you wearing a new perfume?
3)  Have you ever ....................... a snake? They are dry and cold.
4)  Some pepper went into my nose and I ............................
5)  Dogs can .................... things which people cannot. They have sensitive ears.
6)  I ...................... cold. Where is my jumper?
7)  When I saw a man walking with no clothes on, I ............................. at him.
8)  Have you ever ................ that film with Al Pacino?

Practice 3
Choose look, see or watch to complete these sentences:

1)  I ................... a car accident today.
2)  I'm going to .................... my friend playing football on Sunday.
3)  There was a drunk man at the bus stop, but I didn't ....................... at him.
4)  ................ at that: a fish as big as a car!
5)  I ...................... a good play at the theatre last night.
6)  I was ............................ TV when the earthquake happened.

Vocabulary from the unit:
alien - obcy
chase - gonić
obligation – obowiązek
probability - prawdopodobieństwo
shark - rekin
smell – wyczuć (węch)
sneeze - kichać
sniff – posiągnąć nosem

LESSON 23 – answer key
GRAMMAR
Practice 1

A. I'm not sure where he is. He sometimes goes to the pet shop.

He might/may be in the pet shop.

B. What are those white pieces? I don't believe it is snowing in August!

What are those white pieces? It can’t be snowing in August!

C. Students are reminded that they are to wear pink shorts at all times.

Students have to/must wear pink shorts at all times.

D. Trying to use that dangerous cutting machine when you are drunk is a bad idea.

You shouldn’t use that cutting machine when you are drunk.

E.  Nobody else has my special talent for eating so many cakes.
      I  can eat more cakes than anyone else.
F.  I don't have any problem with you marrying her.

You can/may marry her if you like.

G. After you pay once at the ticket office, everything else is free.

You don’t have to pay for anything after the ticket office.

Practice 2
1. PRESENT: I have to wear pink shorts at school; I have no choice!

PAST:

I had to wear pink shorts when I was at school

2. PRESENT: I can swim 250 metres in 1 minute (if a shark is chasing me)

PAST:

I was able to swim 250m in 1 minute when a shark chased me.

3. PRESENT: What is it? It might be a kind of alien coffee-making machine.
PAST:

Nobody knew what it was. It could have been a kind of

alien coffee-making machine.

4. PRESENT: I don't really know where he is. He could be in the bathroom.

PAST: I didn't really know where he was. He could have been in

the bathroom

5. PRESENT: You should take a warm coat if you travel to the planet Pluto.

PAST: He should have taken a warm coat, but he didn't and he froze to death in 0.02

seconds.

6. PRESENT: If he's not here, he must be at work.

PAST:

He wasn't there, so I thought he must have been at work.

7. PRESENT: I don't believe that he read the book so quickly.

PAST: He can’t have read the book so quickly.

Revision: Reported speech

1. Jimmy told the policeman that their cat had been eaten the previous day.

Our cat was eaten yesterday.

2. The headmaster said that the boys can pass the exam if they study.

The boys can pass the exam if they study.

3. I said that I had posted the letter two days previously.

I posted the letter two days ago.

4. They said they had been thinking about the decision for a long time.