Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks – Past Modals
Complete the sentences with the correct past modal:
Example: She __________ (study) harder for the exam, but she didnโt.
1. I __________ (call) you earlier, but my phone was dead.
2. He __________ (be) at the party, but Iโm not sure.
3. The lights are off. They __________ (go) to bed already.
4. You __________ (apologize), and it made things worse.
5. If he had more time, he __________ (help) us.
6. She __________ (forget) her wallet at home.
7. The weather was bad, so we __________ (stay) home.
8. It __________ (rain) last night because the ground is wet.
9. He __________ (pass) the test if he had studied more.
10. They __________ (finish) the project yesterday, but they didnโt.
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice – Past Modals
Choose the most appropriate past modal for each sentence:
Example: The ground is wet. It probably rained last night.
1. She didnโt apologize, and it made things worse.
2. If he had more time, he __________ helped us.
3. The lights are off. They probably went to bed already.
4. She didnโt come to the party, but she said she would.
5. Itโs possible that he forgot his keys.
6. You didnโt study enough, so you failed the test.
7. If the weather hadnโt been bad, we __________ gone out.
8. The ground is wet. It __________ rained last night.
9. She didnโt call me back, but she __________ been busy.
10. He didnโt pass the test, but he __________ studied more.
Exercise 3: Matching – Past Modals
Match the situation to the correct past modal phrase:
Example: You didnโt study enough, so you failed the test.
1. The lights are off. They probably went to bed already.
2. She didnโt come to the party, but she said she would.
3. You didnโt apologize, and it made things worse.
4. The ground is wet. It probably rained last night.
5. He didnโt pass the test, but he said he studied hard.
6. The lights are off. They probably forgot to turn them on.
7. She didnโt call me back, but she said she would.
8. If the weather hadnโt been bad, we __________ gone out.
9. He didnโt finish the project, but he said he would.
10. The ground is wet. It __________ rained last night.