Exercise: Modals 2

How are the modals being used in each of these sentences? Decide whether
they express: request, permission, invitation, offers, promises, suggestions,
advice, obligation, necessity, possibility or impossibility, future time, predictions,
logical inferences, abilities, or past habitual actions.

Examples: Can I ask you a question? request
Can you speak Spanish? ability

1. Will you open the door?
2. Will the office be open tomorrow?
3. I can't hear you.
4. You cant smoke here; it's a church.
5. You shouldnt smoke; it's bad for your health.
6. You really ought to see a doctor.
7. The doctor has just finished with another patient, and ought to be
ready to see you in just a minute.
8. You walked twenty miles today? You must be tired!
9. You must leave at once if you dont want to miss the train.
10. I may be late tonight, so plan on eating dinner without me.
11. Can I speak to Dr. Martinez?
12. You may not leave before the teacher tells you to.
13. I'm interested in buying that cat but it could be too expensive.
14. Could you pass the butter?
15. Could you read when you were five years old?

Answers: 1.request 2.future time 3.abilities 4.permission 5.advice 6.permission/necessity
7.predictions 8.logical inference 9.necessity 10.prediction 11.request 12.permission 13.prediction 14.request 15.abilities

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