Modal verbs in narratives texts

ANALYSIS OF A TEXT WITH MODAL VERBS

Text 1

After a few minutes on my computer, I book flights and a hotel, then print out airline tickets and a hotel voucher – all done in less than half an hour. Nothing surprising about that, you might say. But then I suddenly remembered how things were different when I was a child. If my parents wanted to go away, they just use the Internet – because there was no Internet. Well, of course it existed, but ordinary people use it, it was only used by a few universities and some government agencies. We spent hours searching for a phone box so we call for a taxi. Eventually we find one, but by then it was 2 a.m. and we were freezing cold. In those days mobile phones were an expensive luxury. Even if you had one, you only use it in big cities because there was no signal in the countryside. And they were huge –no much smaller than a house brick. Now I have a phone that is no bigger than a box of matches. I phone anyone, anywhere in the world, any time I feel like it. It even be used to look at the Internet. you imagine how exciting it was the first time an engineer make a phone small enough to put in your pocket? It amazing. But I’m sure that in the future they make them small enough to wear as a wristwatch!

was able to

couldn’t

weren’t able to

managed to

could

could

can

Can

can

managed to

must have been

will be able to

Text 2

MARIA: I find the episode of ER that we recorded yesterday. KAREN: It be there. I saw Max start the machine. MARIA: No, it isn’t. He something wrong. How annoying! KAREN: Don’t worry. We download it from the Internet. I’ll do it for you if you like. MARIA: That’s nice of you. I was looking forward to watching it tonight. KAREN: Well, I do it until tomorrow – I’ve got to work on that geography project for college. MARIA: But you hand it in until Friday. KAREN: I know. But I get on with it. You know how slow I am! MARIA: Why don’t I help you finish it? KAREN: No, we’ get help from anyone else. It be all our own work. But thanks for offering.

can’t

must

must have done

can

won’t be able to

don’t have to

’d better

re not allowed to

has to

Text 3

As we get older and when we think about our past, we sometimes ponder the things that we should have done. And we also regret those things we did badly and the mistakes we made. In reality, we always learn from our mistakes and hope to never make them again. For example, if I failed a test because of a lack of study, the next test I will hope to pass because of hard work. Remember too that some regrets are not based in reality, and we waste time thinking that they are. I have really not have been involved in a car crash if I had been driving more slowly? After all, the other driver concentrated and not playing with their radio. We be honest with ourselves and live in the now. The only things we control are the things happening now, in this moment. We focus on the present.

might

can

Would

may

have to

ought have been

can

need to

EXERCISES OF MODALS VERBS

• https://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/398.htmlhttps://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/398.html

• https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/modal-verbs/modal-verbs-index.htmhttps://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/modal-verbs/modal-verbs-index.htm

• https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/modal-verbs-exercises.html