Permission, Obligation, Prohibition, Necessity

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26/9/2020 Test English - Prepare for your English exam

Modal verbs – permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity

 Exercises  Explanation

Exercises: 1 2 3

Exercise 1
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences below.

You have completed this test.


Correct answers: 2/10.
Your score is 20%.
Check your answers:

1 You 'd better not use this product without protection.

 We use had better + infinitive (without to) to talk about actions we think someone should or shouldn’t do.
There is often a negative resultif the action is carried out. We normally use the shortened form ‘d better, and the
negative form is never contracted: ‘d better not.

2 You don't have to go to the ceremony if you don't feel like it. It'll be very boring anyway.

 The negative forms mustn’t and don’t have to are completely different. Mustn’t is used to express prohibition
(an obligation not to do something), whereas don’t have to + infinitive to say that something is not necessary.

3 We took too much risk. We shouldn't make that decision.

Correct answer: needn't have made


 When something was not necessary but we did it, we can use both didn’t need to + infinitive and needn’t
have + past participle.

4 He needn't have taken the bus because his brother picked him up at the station.

Correct answer: didn't need to take


 When something was NOT necessary and we did NOT do it, we use didn’t need to (NOT needn't have
done).
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5 He had better not spend so much money on Ithe trip. I specially told him to spend as little as possible.
agree

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Correct answer: shouldn't have spent


 We cannot use shouldn't spend or had better not spend here because we use these forms to talk about the
present or future.
 We use perfect modal verbs to talk about the past.

6 The refugees [no answer] to work outside the camp.

Correct answer: are not allowed


 The only correct form is are not allowed.
 We can say mustn't work (NOT mustn't to work), and we can say had better not work (NOT had better not
to work).

7 We couldn't find a hotel so we [no answer] in the car. It was so uncomfortable!

Correct answer: had to sleep


 We need to express past obligation, and had to is the only form we have in this sentence to do it.
 We should have slept in the car means 'we didn't sleep in the car but it was the right thing to do'.
 We must have slept in the car means 'I'm sure we slept in the car'.

8 You [no answer] forget to take your medicine.

Correct answer: mustn't


 We use mustn't to express prohibition and don't have to to express lack of necessity.
 We can say ought not to forget (NOT ought not forget).

9 We [no answer] early because it was a holiday, so we slept till late.


Grammar » B2 Grammar lessons and exercises » Modal verbs – permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity

Correct answer: didn't have to get up


 When something was not necessary but we did it, we can use both didn’t need to + infinitive and needn’t
have + past participle.
 However, when something was NOT necessary and we did NOT do it, we use didn’t need to (NOT needn’t
have done).

10 You [no answer] call me as soon as you arrived. I was very worried!

Correct answer: were meant to


 We can use be supposed/meant to + infinitive to express obligation or permission, to say what we should or
shouldn’t do.

Exercises: 1 2 3

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Can, could, be able to


– ability and possibility

have to, must, should


– obligation,
prohibition, necessity,
advice

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