Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016
The past tense
10 The passive form of modal auxiliaries
The past tense of certain modal auxiliaries in the passive voice is formed by the modal + have been + past participle.
The letter should have been sent yesterday!
This car must have been stolen two months ago.
Andrew ought to have been told about the meeting.
With other modal auxiliaries, the past tense of the modal is used together with to be + past participle.
Fred had to be told about the meeting.
The door couldn’t be opened.
Exercise 10.1 Complete each sentence, using the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses. For some sentences, more than one tense may be used.
Example Tom may have already been given (may + already + give) this card by one of his friends.
1. Ronald ... (should + tell) the good news as soon as possible.
2. Angela ... (should + drive) to the airport half an hour ago.
3. Someone ... (should + clean) the kitchen before dinner.
4. Butter ... (must + keep) in the refrigerator or it will go bad.
5. We tried talking to him, but he ... (could + not + convince). He had already made up his mind.
6. We tried, but we ... (could + not + open) the window.
7. I am so excited! IBM called me, and I ... (may + offer) a job with them soon.
8. The computer firm that Stephanie interviewed with last week ... (may + not + offer) her a job, even though she had a good feeling about it.
9. I hope Bob accepts our job offer. He ... (may + already + offer) a job with another company.
10. It might be too late to call her with an offer. Another competing company ... (may + already + hire) her.
11. Peter didn’t expect to see his little brother at the party. He ... (must + surprise) when he saw him drinking.
12. Today is the 8th, and his birthday was on the 2nd. Her birthday card ... (should + send) a week ago.
13. His birthday is coming up next week. His present ... (should + send) to his house soon.
14. Tricia ... (had better + clean) her room before Mom gets back home.
15. Tricia, your room ... (had better + clean) by the time) get home.
16. Tyler ... (have to + return) these videos by tomorrow night.
17. These videos ... (have to + return) to the video store by this afternoon.
18. There are too many people in this class. It ... (ought to + divide) in two, but there are no more available classrooms.
19. Last semester’s class was too large. It ... (ought to + divide) in half.
Exercise 10.2 Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in parentheses together with an appropriate modal auxiliary or similar expression.
1. He is crying. He ... (be) sad.
2. The entire forest ... (see) from their balcony.
3. According to our teacher, all our calculators ... (put) into our bags before she passes out the test.
4. A child ... (not + get) everything he asks for.
5. Your son draws quite poorly. His interest in painting ... (not + encourage).
6. Five of the players on the team missed their plane. In my opinion, the game ... (postpone).
7. Try to speak slowly when you give your lecture. Otherwise, some of your sentences ... (misunderstand).
8. Some sightings of Elvis ... (not + explain).
9. She is wearing a ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. She ... (marry).
10. I found a wallet on the table. It ... (left) by one of the students who was having lunch.
11. What! You lost your final paper draft? Your professor ... (displease) once you’ve told him about it.
12. He is very lazy. If you need him to do something, he ... (push).
13. The classrooms in this school are old, but the municipality gave us money and a new school ... (build) by next summer.
14. Blue whales ... (save) from extinction.
15. We can no longer sit here with our arms crossed! Something ... (do)!
16. In my opinion, he ... (elect), because he is honest and organized.