THEME 6 OPEN YOUR HEART GRAMMAR

1. PAST MODALS
When we know that something happened in the past, we use a normal past tense. (He did, I saw them, etc.)
If we are not completely sure, we use a modal (must, may, might, could + have). The choice of modal depends on the
degree of certainty, as in the following table.
PROBABILITY VERB EXAMPLE
100% past simple She knew.
almost certain 95% must have We must have arrived.
50% (possible) could have She could have forgotten.
possible but unlikely might/ may have We might/may have made a mistake.
highly unlikely can’t/couldn’t have You can’t have lost it.
0% impossibility past simple negative He didn’t know.
A. Match the sentences 1-3 with their meanings a-c.
1. Mary might have fallen asleep earlier than usual. a) I’m almost certain this happened.
2. Brian couldn’t have spoken rudely. b) I feel it’s possible that this happened.
3. Lisa must have understood me wrong. c) I’m almost certain this didn’t happen.
B. Rewrite the sentences using the word given in brackets.
E.g. I think Bob put my book into his bag. (could)
Bob could have put my book into his bag.
1. I’m sure Lisa didn’t actually mean what she said. (couldn’t)
__________________________________________________.
2. I’m sure Tom realized how wrong he was. (must)
__________________________________________________.
3. Perhaps my mother was at the hairdresser. (might)
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4. Lina didn’t help her mother clean the house. (should)
__________________________________________________.
5. I think my grandpa ate the cake I baked yesterday. (could)
__________________________________________________.
C. Match the sentences with the situations.
1. Sheila is looking very happy. a) Her boss can’t have been very happy.
2. Oh, no! Where is my car? b) She might have been redecorating his house.
3. Sue has paint stains on her clothes. c) She must have had some good news.
4. Dila arrived at work late yesterday. d) Someone must have stolen it.
D. Which sentence, (a) or (b), comes after the given one.
1. I don’t know why he didn’t come to the art exhibition.
a) He might have liked it. b) He might like it.
2. Nobody knows where the bicycles have gone.
a) They might have been stolen. B) They might be stolen.
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3. Don’t throw away the rest of the chicken.
a) Mom may have used it for dinner. b) Mom may use it for dinner.
4. I wish I had seen my brother’s performance in the school choir.
a) He must have played really well. b) He must play well.
5. He had a beautiful smile on his face.
a) He can’t have had the bad news. b) He can’t have the bad news.
6. I was so angry with you.
a) You should have left a note for me. b) You should leave a note for me.
7. The director is shouting.
a) He must have been very angry. b) He must be very angry.
8. Oh,no! Not again. Where are my keys?
a) I might have left them on the table. b) I might leave them on the table.
E. The following sentences are about an escaped criminal. Rewrite them using a modal from the above table, as in
the example.
Example: It is almost certain that he left before breakfast.
He must have left before breakfast.
1. It is highly unlikely that he carried the gold by himself.

2. He has almost certainly been spotted by the police by now.

3. It is possible but unlikely that he headed towards London.

4. It is almost certain that he realized how serious it was.

5. It is highly unlikely that he thought things through clearly.

6. Possibly he escaped by boat.

7. It’s quite likely that he made contact with his friends.

ANSWERS
1 He can’t / couldn’t have carried the gold by himself.
2. He must have been spotted by the police by now.
3. He might have headed towards London.
4. He must have realized how serious it was.
5. He can’t / couldn’t have thought things through clearly.
6. He could have escaped by boat.
7. He may have made contact with his friends.

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2. SHOULD / OUGHT TO HAVE + V3
We use should/ought to + have + past participle (V3) to talk about an obligation in the past. It often indicates some
criticism.
Tina should have asked me before she took my mobile. (I’m annoyed)
You cough terribly. You shouldn’t have walked in the rain. I mean you should have taken a taxi.
A. Read the situations and express your criticism using should/shouldn’t have.
E.g. Dan shouted at his friend. What would you say to him?
You shouldn’t have shouted at your friend.
1. Bob promised to pick you up at 9:30 a.m., but he arrived late. What would you say to him?
_____________________________________________________.
2. Ira’s father bought her a nice gift, but she didn’t say a word to him. What would you say to her?
_____________________________________________________.
3. Sam left the waiter a bigger tip than necessary. What would you say to him?
___________________________________________________.
4. Sue said that she’d lost your book. What would you say to her?
_____________________________________________________.
5. Your cousin, Joe didn’t study enough and failed the exam. What would you say to him?
_____________________________________________________.
B. Rewrite the sentences using the modals below.
could have / should have / can’t have / must have / shouldn’t have
1. It was certain that Amanda suffered from anxiety when she was a teenage girl.
Amanda must have suffered from anxiety when she was a teenage girl.
2. It was possible that Mike sent you these roses.
Ron ________________________________________________________________
3. Seeing a physician was the right thing to do, but she didn’t.
She _________________________________________________________________
4. It was not possible that you saw the maths teacher.
You ________________________________________________________________
5. I am sure that Linda didn’t take the lift to the fifth floor; she’s claustrophobic.
Linda _______________________________________________________________
6. I am annoyed that you took my mobile phone without asking my permission.
You _________________________________________________________________
7. The interns probably stayed back at work yesterday.
The interns ____________________________________________________________

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