Modal Verb Decisions writing Exercise

Master modal verbs by practicing how to choose the correct one for each situation—expressing ability, advice, permission, obligation, and possibility.

Exercise Guide

How to complete:

Read each sentence carefully and choose or arrange the correct modal verb to complete it. Think about what the sentence expresses: ability, advice, necessity, or possibility.

Success tips:

Modal verbs show the speaker’s attitude toward an action. Learn to identify context clues that suggest obligation, permission, or likelihood.

  • can / could → ability or possibility
  • should / ought to → advice or recommendation
  • must / have to → obligation or necessity
  • may / might → possibility or permission
  • would / will → polite requests or future certainty

Knowledge:

Modal verbs help express different shades of meaning such as necessity, ability, permission, and advice. In this exercise, you’ll practice selecting the correct modal based on context. This strengthens your grammar and helps you sound more natural in both spoken and written English.

Complete the Exercise

Question 1

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

three
speak
languages
I
can

Question 2

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

see
a
doctor
should
You

Question 3

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

his
finish
must
homework
dinner
He
before

Question 4

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

phone
your
use
I
May
please

Question 5

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

the
They
be
library
at
could
now

Question 6

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

might
to
We
the
go
tomorrow
beach

Question 7

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

here
mustn’t
You
park

Question 8

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

He
can’t
be
the
thief

Question 9

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

I
very
a
child
could
I
run
fast
was
when

Question 10

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

too
eat
sugar
shouldn’t
She
much

Question 11

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

We
have
school
to
at
uniforms
wear

Question 12

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

to
you
come
if
You
don’t
are
busy
have

Question 13

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

you
this
me
with
help
Could
homework

Question 14

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

be
It
outside
raining
must

Question 15

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

She
might
be
right
sleeping
now

Question 16

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

our
should
project
We
start
soon

Question 17

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

You
can’t
enter
ticket
a
without

Question 18

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

morning
for
would
walk
every
a
go
He

Question 19

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
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Available Words:

open
I
May
the
window

Question 20

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

the
submit
to
has
today
form
She

Question 21

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

to
apologize
You
ought
to
her

Question 22

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

I
you
that
can
with
help

Question 23

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

the
He
if
could
trained
had
race
have
won
he

Question 24

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

passport
forget
not
your
must
You

Question 25

Arrange the words

Your Arrangement:

No words selected yet.
Drag words here to arrange them into a sentence

Available Words:

They
might
bus
wrong
the
taken
have

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