Modals of deduction: whose bag could it be? Modals of deduction exercises for guesses about now
About this lesson
This B1 drill lesson gives modals of deduction exercises for guesses about now: must (sure), might, may or could (maybe), and can't (sure it isn't true).
- Grammar
- Modal + be, another verb or be + -ing for right now; might not and may not; mustn't (a rule) vs can't (a guess).
- Topic
- A lost-and-found mystery at a train station: the team's group chat about a green backpack, the station's post, the owner's messages, and a chat with Zofia.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting by certainty, choices, matching, gap-fills, drag-and-drop, word order, a table, quizzes, a memory game and a chat, all marked instantly.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: modals of deductionGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: how sure is the speaker?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the modal for each meaningChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the sentences and their meaningsMatchUnlock
Chapter 2I'm sure: must and can't
- Choose the right words: sure it's true or sure it isn't?Choose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: say it another wayFill in the gapsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: what's the explanation?Drag and dropUnlock
- Sort the sentences: a rule or a guess?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the facts and the guessesMatchUnlock
- Read about our mystery neighbor and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Maybe: might, may, could
- Fill in the gaps: maybe or maybe not?Fill in the gapsTry it
- Put the words in the right order: maybeUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the messages and drag the words into the gaps: where's Dmitri?Drag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right word: sure or not sure?Choose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right answer: what does it mean?QuizUnlock
- Read the post and choose the right words: a mystery boxChoose the optionUnlock
Chapter 4Right now: must be + -ing
- Fill in the gaps: modal + be + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: what's happening now?Choose the optionUnlock
- Sort the sentences: right now or in general?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Read the situations and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropTry it
- Put the words in the right order: what's happening now?UnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read Jakob's message and fill in the gaps: what's happening now?Fill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The lost-and-found mystery
- Read the lost-and-found team's chatReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the chat again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the station's post and fill in the gaps: how sure are they?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Florin's messages and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the conversation at the desk and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Zofia texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right word: at home and at workChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: rewrite the sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: sure, maybe or no way?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: guessesUnjumbleUnlock
- Match the guesses and the reasonsMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: how sure are you?Fill in the tableUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: a noisy Saturday morningFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: guesses about peopleChoose the optionUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: at the airportDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake in each sentenceQuizUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the same meaningMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read the news story and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Gwendolyn's forum post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Tilly's review and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
Grammar: modals of deduction: how sure are you?
When we guess about the present from what we see or know, the modal shows how sure we are. Must, might and can't mark three levels of certainty, and the base form follows with no to: Her lights are on. She must be at home.
Modals of deduction: how sure are you?
Make a guess about now from what you see or know: must, might, may, could or can't + verb.
From sure to no way
Must: I'm sure it's true (You've worked all day. You must be tired.). Might, may, could: maybe. Might not, may not: maybe not. Can't: I'm sure it isn't true (That can't be Tom. He's in Paris this week.).
modal + base form (no to)
subjectmust / might / may / could / can'tbe · verb · be + -ing
Her lights are on. She must be at home.
I'm not sure. It might be Leo's bag.
That can't be Tom. He's in Paris this week.
How sure are you?
| How sure? | Modal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I'm sure it's true. | must | You've worked all day. You must be tired. |
| It's possible: maybe. | might · may · could | I don't know where Leo is. He might / may / could be in the garden. |
| Maybe it isn't true. | might not · may not | I'm not sure. Tom may not know the way. |
| I'm sure it isn't true. | can't | I just saw Ana at the gym. She can't be at home. |
What comes after the modal?
Be + an adjective, a place or a noun (Your glasses might be in the car.), another verb in the base form (Mia always knows the answer. She must read a lot.), or be + -ing for right now.
| After the modal | Example |
|---|---|
| be + adjective | Everybody is laughing. The movie must be funny. |
| be + a place | Your glasses might be in the car. |
| be + a noun | That can't be our bus. Ours is the number 9. |
| a verb (base form) | Mia always knows the answer. She must read a lot. |
| be + verb-ing (right now) | Listen! The neighbors must be having a party. |
In general or right now?
Kai must work a lot. He's never at home is a guess about his life. Must be + -ing guesses about this moment: Kai's light is on. He must be working late.
In general: must + verb
- Kai must work a lot. He's never at home.
- They must like jazz. They go to every concert.
Right now: must be + -ing
- Kai's light is on. He must be working late.
- I can hear music. They must be listening to jazz.
A rule or a guess?
Mustn't states a rule: Visitors must not feed the animals. Can't makes a guess: That can't be Ana. She's in Rome this week. One is about what's allowed, one about what's true.
mustn't / must not: a rule
- It's not allowed.
- You mustn't use your phone in the exam.
- Visitors must not feed the animals.
can't: a guess
- I'm sure it isn't true.
- That can't be Ana. She's in Rome this week.
- It can't be ten o'clock already! I just got here.
Might, may, could, but not can
All three mean maybe here; for maybe not, say might not or may not. Can is for what is sometimes true (Trains can be late in winter), not a guess about one thing: It could be Tom's. American English also says They must not be home.
might, may, could · can · must not
might, may and could all mean maybe here. For maybe not, say might not or may not. For a guess about one thing, don't use can: It could be Tom's. can is for what is sometimes true: Trains can be late in winter. In American English, you will also hear must not for a guess: Their car is gone. They must not be home.
Common mistakes
Watch for He must is at work, She might to be late, It can be Ana's for a guess about one phone, and They must waiting for us, where be is missing before the -ing form.
He must is at work.
He must be at work.
after the modal: the base form (be, know, live)
She might to be late.
She might be late.
no to after must, might, may, could, can't
Whose phone is this? It can be Ana's.
Whose phone is this? It could be Ana's.
a guess about one thing: might, may or could
They must waiting for us.
They must be waiting for us.
right now: must + be + verb-ing
Examples
- Look at all those books! You must love reading.must + verb
- Whose bag could it be? It might be Leo's.a question with could, and a guess
- Ring again. Grandpa may not hear the doorbell.maybe not
- Sam is in Brazil. That can't be him at the door.I'm sure it isn't true
- Don't call Mia now. She might be sleeping.maybe, right now
- The kitchen smells great. Dad must be cooking.I'm sure, right now
More lessons on this grammar: Modal verbs lessons and exercises
Try the modals of deduction exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 40 auto-checked exercises
- 4 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- say you're sure something is true: Ravi has just run a marathon. He must be tired.
- say you're sure it isn't true with can't: The museum closes at 5, and it's 6:30 now. It can't be open.
- guess with might, may or could, or might not: Your phone could be in the car. Leo might not know.
- guess what's happening now with be + -ing: Listen! The neighbors must be having a party.
- tell a rule from a guess: You mustn't smoke on the train, but That can't be Ivo's bag
- Grammar:
- modals of deduction · must / might / may / could / can't · must be + -ing · might not / may not
- Topic:
- grammar practice · lost and found · train station · mysteries
Teaching tips
- Run a mystery-bag round: put five objects in a bag, like a whistle, a ticket and a key; groups guess the owner with must, might and can't, as the lost-and-found team does.
- Guess from sounds: describe a sound (water running upstairs, a dog barking at the door), and students answer with must be + -ing: My sister must be taking a shower.
- Put each guess on a certainty line: draw a line from can't to must on the board; students mark where a new guess sits before they choose the modal.
Liked it?
Teach the whole lesson in edio
44 exercises in 6 chapters, ready to teach. edio is an online platform for language schools and teachers: ready-made interactive lessons, live classes, homework and student progress in one place.
Start a free trial
7 days, no credit card.
Open the lesson
Find it in the library of 621 ready lessons. Teach it as it is, or copy any chapter into your own lessons.
Teach it live or as homework
Students work in their own accounts, in sync with you during the lesson, and the practice exercises check themselves.
The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B1
English Grammar Practice · B1 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the present perfect continuous, narrative tenses, future forms, modals of deduction, the second conditional, the passive, relative clauses, reported speech, question tags and linkers. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Present perfect continuous: how long have you been doing it?
- 2Present perfect simple or continuous: how many or how long?
- 3Past perfect: what had happened before?
- 4Narrative tenses: telling a great story
- 5Future forms: plans, promises and timetables
- 6Future time clauses: I'll call you when I land
- 7Used to, be used to, get used to: settling in
- 8Modal verbs: can, must, should or might?
- 9Could, was able to, managed to: did you make it?
- 10Modals of deduction: whose bag could it be?
- 11Second conditional: what would you do?
- 12Conditionals compared: real or imagined?
- 13Present and past passive: how is it made?
- 14Passive in other tenses: what's being done?
- 15Relative clauses: the person who, the place where
- 16Reported statements: who said what?
- 17Reported questions and commands: what did they ask you?
- 18Indirect questions: could you tell me where it is?
- 19Question tags: it's your first day, isn't it?
- 20Gerunds and infinitives: enjoy doing or decide to do?
- 21Reflexive pronouns: did you make it yourself?
- 22Although, however, despite: great view, tiny room
- 23So, such and because of: what a storm!
- 24Phrasal verbs: who's going to clean it up?
- 25All, both, either, neither, none: two or a whole group?
- 26-ed and -ing adjectives: bored or boring?
- 27Advanced comparatives: the more, the better
- 28Articles with place names: the Nile, but Lake Como