The Modal Verbs (1) must may/ Might can’t / couldn’t

What is it? It can’t /couldn’t be a banana.

What is it? It can’t /couldn’t be a banana. It may/might be an orange.

What is it? It can’t /couldn’t be a banana. It may/might be an orange. It must be a candle.

What is it? It can’t /couldn’t be a banana. It may/might be an orange. It must be a candle. It is a candle.

What is it? It can’t /couldn’t be an apple.

It may/ might be a bottle/ a can. What is it?

It can’t/couldn’t be an apple. It may/ might be a bottle/ a can. It must be a bag What is it?

It can’t/couldn’t be an apple. It may/ might be a bottle/ a can. It must be a bag. It is a bag. What is it?

Conclusion: StructureMeaning 不可能是 也许是 肯定是 can’t/couldn’t be may/might be must be

Who is the person? It can’t/ couldn’t be a man.

Who is the person? It can’t/ couldn’t be a man. She may/might be Ms. Zhang, your class teacher.

Who is the person? It can’t/ couldn’t be a man. She may/might be Ms. Zhang, your class teacher. She must be Ms. Gong, your math teacher.

Who is the person? It can’t/ couldn’t be a man. She may/might be Ms. Zhang, your class teacher. She must be Ms. Gong, your math teacher. She is Ms. Gong, your math teacher.

What is she doing now? She can’t be/ couldn’t be traveling abroad. She may/might be preparing lessons in her office.

She must be giving lessons now.

What is he doing? He can’t /couldn’t be swimming.

What is he doing? He can’t /couldn’t be swimming. He may/ might be beating someone.

What is he doing? He can’t /couldn’t be swimming. He may/ might be beating someone. He must be beating someone.

What is he doing? He can’t /couldn’t be swimming. He may/ might be beating someone. He must be beating someone. He is spanking a boy.

Conclusion: StructureMeaning 不可能正在 也许正在 肯定正在 can’t/couldn’t be doing may/might be doing must be doing

What has the boy done? He can’t/ couldn’t have lost his shoes. He may/ might have broken the vase. He must have failed the exam.

Exercises 1: 1. Look! The light is out in her room. She —— —— to bed already. A. must go B. had to go C. must have gone D. has gone 2.—Tom is never late for work. Why is he absent today? —Something ________ to him. A. must happen B.should have happened C. could have happened D. must have happened C D

3. He seems to know the city quite well. He ______ there before. A. can't be B. may have been C. mustn't have been D. couldn't have been 4. His car is here, so he ______ to Beijing. A. can’t have gone B. mustn’t have gone C. might have been D. didn’t go B A

5. ─There were already five people in the car but they managed to take me as well. ─ It______ a comfortable journey. A. can't be B. shouldn't be C. mustn't have been D. couldn't have been 6. I didn’t hear the phone. I __________ asleep. A. might have been B. couldn’t be C. must be D. had to be D A

They were late for the earliest train. ----They _____________________ (take) a later train. 也许他们乘坐的是晚一点儿的火车。 8. This cake is very sweet. You ____________ (put) a lot of sugar in it. 肯定放了很多糖 。 I rang your flat yesterday afternoon. A man answered. Was that your brother Peter? --- Oh, it ______________________ (be) my brother Peter. He was swimming at school at that time. may/might have taken must have put can’t/couldn’t have been

Conclusion: StructureMeaning 不可能已经做 了 也许已经做了 肯定已经做了 can’t/couldn’t have done may/might have done must have done

Exercise 2: Match sentences 1. --The woman biologist stayed in Africa studying wild animals for 13 years before she returned. j Oh, dear! She must have gone through a lot of difficulties! The windows in the room look bright and clean today. k. -- Someone must have cleaned them. 对过去动作的推测

3. --Paul isn’t home yet. i. -- He might/may be working late at the office. 4. John has gone to the party without driving his car. h. He may/might have gone to the party by bus. 5. Good smell is from our kitchen. g. Mum must be cooking there. 对现在正在进行动作的推测 对过去动作的推测 对现在正在进行动作的推测

6. The road is wet. f. It must have been rained last night. 7. Mary’s score on the test is the highest in her class. e. She must have worked very hard. 8. It’s twelve o’clock. b. They might be having lunch 对过去动作的推测 对现在正在进行动作的推测

9. John has been to New York hundreds of times. c. He can’t have lost the way. 10. I saw Jane go to the library 5 minutes ago. d. She must be reading books now. 11. I phoned his home just now, but no one answered. a. So he couldn’t be watching TV at home. 对现在正在进行动作的推测 对过去动作的推测

mean -ing structure 对？表示猜测 不可能 can’t/couldn’t be doing can’t/couldn’t have done 可能 may/might be doingmay/might have done 肯定 must be doingmust have done 对现在正在进行的动 作表猜测 对过去已经发生的动作 表猜测

Lucy Do you know where ….is now? She must be …….., I suppose. She can’t be ……. because…….. Then she might have already. She must be …….

A: Do you know where Lucy is now? B: She must be cooking in the kitchen, I suppose. A: She can’t be in the kitchen, because I knocked her door just now, but nobody answered. B: Then she might have finished cooking already. She must be playing basketball now. Lucy

Do you know where ….is now? He must be …….., I suppose. He can’t be ……. because…….. Then he might have already. He must be …….now Tom

Do you know where ….are now? They must be …….., I suppose. They can’t be ……. because…….. Then they might have... already. They must be ……. Jimmy and his mother

Do you know how the relationship between Tom and his girlfriend is now? They must have …….., I suppose. They can’t have ……. ， because…….. Then they might have......already. They must be in love again. break up 分手 be together again 复合

Each group gets a situation. Discuss together and work out the possible reasons or explanations for the situation. Write down at least 4 sentences with modal verbs.

Why does she enjoy living in Chongming? (She has been in Shanghai for four years for higher education. She must have attended a university in Shanghai She may be working in Chongming. She can’t be alone in Chongming. She might have been born in Chongming.

Situation1: Why was Jim late this morning? He got up at 5 a.m. Situation 2: Why doesn’t Ms. Gong, your math teacher, like any chocolate or sweet? Situation 3: Why is the young man living in a van? Situation 4: An old man does have two sons and a daughter, but he is living in an eldercare center.

Situation 1: Why was Jim late this morning? (He got up at 5 a.m.)

Situation 2: Why doesn’t Ms. Gong, your math teacher, like any chocolate or sweet? (She liked them when she was a kid).

Situation 3: Why is the young man living in a van? (He came from a small village and now is living in a van in a big city.)

Situation 4: An old man does have two sons and a daughter, but he is living in an eldercare center. Why?

Homework Exercise on Page 91&92 in textbook. Exercise on P.53&54 in Workbook.

Situation 5: Why did he take a taxi to the party, leaving a car and a bicycle at home?

Situation 1: Why was Jim late this morning? He got up at 5am. He may have taken a long time to go to school. He might have helped her mother cook breakfast. He can’t have forgotten to go to school. He couldn’t be a lazy boy.