Modal Auxiliary Verbs Exercise for Class 10 CBSE
Modal auxiliaries are words like can, could, may, might, will and would. They express ideas such as certainty, willingness, ability, possibility etc.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate modal auxiliary verb.
1. We …………………… like to take you out for a meal. (would / will / might /should)
2. …………………….. we ask Rahul if he wants to come with us? (Shall / Will / Would / May)
3. …………………….. we order a drink? (Shall / Would / May / Might)
4. I …………………… meet you outside the theatre. (will / would / need / ought)
5. If you want, we …………………….. watch a movie after dinner. (can / must / should / would)
6. I ……………………….. finish this work today. It is urgent. (can / must / would / will)
7. I ………………………. pay him back tonight. He won’t wait any longer. (may / will / must / ought)
8. You ……………………….. come and visit us during the holidays. (shall / will / would / should)
9. ……………………….. you speak more slowly, please? (Can / Could / Will / Would)
10. I …………………….. call you when I get there. (will / would / could)
11. Look! I ……………………… jump over the stream. (can / could / may / should)
12. I am busy today but I ……………………… see you tomorrow. (can / could / will / would)
13. She ……………………… walk when she was just 8 months old. (can / could / would / might)
14. She …………………….. speak six languages. (can / could / may / might)
15. Most kids in Mumbai ………………………. speak three or more languages. (can / could / will / would)
16. When we reached near the home, we ………………………. smell something burning. (can / could / would / must)
17. I ………………………… understand anything she said. (can’t / couldn’t / wouldn’t / mayn’t)
18. Do you think she ……………………….. be lying? (could / would / should / must)
19. …………………… I bring a friend along to the party? (Can / Could / Will / Would)
20. That was dangerous – you ……………………. have killed yourself. (can / could / should / would)
Answers
1. would, 2. Shall, 3. Shall, 4. will, 5. can, 6. must, 7. must, 8. should, 9. can, 10. will, 11. can, 12. can, 13. could, 14. can, 15. can, 16. could, 17. couldn’t, 18. could, 19. Can, 20. could
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate modal auxiliary verb.
1. Gold ……………………… be found in some parts of Karnataka. (can / may / could / would)
2. Being alone in such a big house ………………………. be quite frightening. (can / could / would / shall)
3. Anybody ……………………. join the club if they want to. (can / could / will / would)
4. He …………………….. borrow my car if he asked. (can / could / will / should)
5. You ……………………… have told me you weren’t coming. (should / could / would / can)
6. I ……………………… hear somebody coming up the stairs. (could / should / may / would)
7. What ……………………… you do if she didn’t recognise you? (will / would / can / could)
8. Plants …………………….. get enough sunlight and water. (can / must / should / could)
9. You ………………………. not steal. (may / might / must / ought)
10. She ……………………… be Priya’s sister. She looks just like her. (can / must / will / would)
11. You ………………………… work tomorrow if you don’t want to. (should not / would not / need not / shall not)
12. She is late. She ……………………… have missed the train. (can / could / may / might)
13. When we were kids, we ……………………….. wander around the countryside on our bicycles. (will / would / should / may)
14. I can’t find my keys. It ………………………. have been stolen. (can / must / would / will)
15. You ……………………… stop worrying about things you have no control over. (will / may / must / would)
16. There is somebody at the door. Who …………………….. it be? (will / can / may / might)
17. Women …………………… suffer from depression after having a baby. (must / should / may / will)
18. There ………………………. be a strike next week. (can / may / would / should)
19. Children ……………………. be allowed to do what they like. (cannot / should not / would not / could not)
20. The plants are dying. You …………………….. water them. (can / will / must / ought)
21. The walls ………………………. to be painted. (ought / should / must/ need)
22. Mother insisted that I ……………………… go with her. (shall / should / might / could)
23. We ………………………. see each other again – who knows? (will / can / might / must)
24. Indians ………………………. not get a visa for Nepal. (need / would / should / will)
25. They knelt in front of the boy who …………………………. one day rule their country. (will / may / can / would)
26. She really …………………….. to find a better job. (can / could / should / ought)
Answers
1. can, 2. can / could, 3. can, 4. could, 5. should / could, 6. can, 7. would, 8, must, 9. must, 10. must, 11. need not, 12. may / might / could, 13. would, 14. must, 15. must, 16. can, 17. may, 18. may, 19. cannot /should not, 20. must, 21. ought, 22. should, 23. might, 24. need, 25. would, 26. ought
