Modal Verbs in Context Worksheet for language learning.

Let’s go through each sentence one by one and pick the best modal verb from the word bank that fits the meaning.

Word bank:
can, may, must, should, couldn’t, ought to, might, will

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1. You ______________ tell me the truth for your own good.
→ This sounds like advice or a strong suggestion. “Should” is perfect here — it means it’s a good idea.
✔ should

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2. I ______________ find my shoes anywhere.
→ The speaker is saying they tried but failed. “Couldn’t” means “was not able to.”
✔ couldn’t

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3. We ______________ arrive on time or else we will be in trouble.
→ This is about obligation or necessity. If you don’t do it, there’s a consequence. “Must” shows strong requirement.
✔ must

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4. He ______________ shoot the basketball at the rim.
→ This could mean ability (he is able to) or possibility. But since it’s just stating what he does, “can” works well for ability.
✔ can

*(Note: “will” could also work if it’s about future action, but “can” fits better as a general statement of ability.)*

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5. ______________ you let me know the time?
→ This is a polite request. “Can” or “Could” would work, but “could” isn’t in the list. “May” is more formal/polite for requests.
✔ May

*(“Can” is also acceptable informally, but “may” is traditionally correct for polite permission/request.)*

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6. They ______________ not be trustworthy enough.
→ This expresses uncertainty or possibility. “Might” is used for things that are possible but not certain.
✔ might

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7. ______________ you please pass the salt?
→ Again, a polite request. Same as #5 — “May” is formal and polite. “Can” is common too, but “may” is preferred in formal contexts.
✔ May

*(Some might say “Can,” but since “may” is available and more appropriate for politeness, we’ll use “may.”)*

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8. We ______________ prepare for the big exam.
→ This is advice or recommendation. “Should” or “ought to” both fit. “Ought to” is slightly stronger than “should,” but both are okay. Let’s pick “should” since it’s more commonly used.
✔ should

*(Alternatively, “ought to” is also correct — but “should” is simpler and matches #1.)*

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Wait — let’s double-check #4 and #7.

For #4: “He can shoot...” → yes, ability. Good.

For #7: In modern English, “Can you please...” is very common. But since “may” is in the word bank and often taught as the polite form, we’ll stick with “may.” However, some teachers accept “can” here too. But to match traditional grammar rules, “may” is safer.

Also, note: “will” hasn’t been used yet. Is there a place for it?

Looking again:

#4: Could it be “will”? “He will shoot...” → implies future action. But the sentence doesn’t have context of future — it’s general. So “can” is still better.

#8: “We will prepare...” → possible, but it sounds like a promise or prediction, not advice. “Should” is better for advising preparation.

So our answers are solid.

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Final Answer:

1. should
2. couldn’t
3. must
4. can
5. May
6. might
7. May
8. should