Page 50 - Grasp English B2 (Student Book)

4 Departures

Grammar Perfect modals

A. Look at each sentence and discuss the questions with a partner.
We should’ve gone in March - the flights would’ve been much cheaper.
1. Did they fly in March?
Aisha’s looking very tanned - she must’ve been somewhere hot on holiday.
2. How certain is the speaker about where Aisha went?
The neighbours haven’t collected their post for a couple of days - they might’ve gone away.
3. Is the speaker certain the neighbours are on holiday?
B. Read and match the sentences with the following meanings.

1. The bus arrived one minute after Jenny left, so she needn’t have taken a taxi.
2. Ben must have left the office because his coat and bag aren’t here.
3. We could have driven to work, but the weather was so lovely that we decided to walk.
4. Why is Tommy late? He must have got stuck in traffic.
5. You should have called Sam on his birthday. He never forgets to call you.

a. regret
b. possibility (X2)
c. lack of obligation
d. certainty

C. Write the modal verbs in the correct category in the table.

can’t could didn’t need to may might must mustn’t needn’t should shouldn’t

to express certainty

to express possibility
+ have + past participle
to express a lack of obligation
to express regret

D. Match the two halves of each sentence.
1. Their flight might have been delayed, a. because I couldn’t go to the toilet until the plane was

2. I should have bought a packed lunch in the air.
3. We could have had a stopover in Dubai, b. because it definitely felt like there was more space on
that flight.
4. They can’t have flown often
c. because of bad weather.
5. We didn’t need to have woken up so
early d. because they were trying to bring full bottles of water
through security.
6. I shouldn’t have drunk all that water
before I got on the flight, e. because I always forget how expensive airport cafés are.

7. They must’ve had a lot of complaints f. but I didn’t realise you can take empty bottles through
about the leg room security.
8. I needn’t have thrown my bottle away g. but we decided to pay more for a direct flight.
h. but you never know if there’ll be traffic on the way to
the airport.
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