The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

15.3. Degrees of likelihood
Unit fifteen. Modality

Sections 283-292; 461-463; 483; 501; 542

We need not always think in terms of truth or falsehood. There is also a scale of likelihood.

Certainty (or Logical necessity) expressed with must or have to

Ability expressed with can, be able to, be capable of

Predictability expressed with will or must

Probability expressed with should or ought to

Possibility expressed with can, may, could, might

Tentative possibility expressed with could or might

Improbability expressed with shouldn’t, oughtn’t to, it is improbable/unlikely that

Impossibility expressed with can’t, may not, mustn’t

Task one ***

Describe the degrees of likelihood shown in the sentences according to the list below.

Possibility of the fact

Possibility of the idea

Impossibility

Hypothetical possibility

Tentative possibility

Ability

Hypothetical ability

Certainty or logical necessity

Hypothetical necessity

Prediction and predictability

Probability

1. If the people were persuaded that the Chancellor was lying, the government could lose the next election.

2. He might have been lying.

3. You don’t have to be good-looking to be a star, but it helps.

4. Don’t worry. Gerry’s probably on his way by now.

5. You shouldn’t have any trouble with this.

6. I’m sorry. There must have been a fault in the connector.

7. My grandmother must have been having children over a period of almost thirty years.

8. The politician couldn’t give his view on the matter because of forthcoming legal proceedings.

9. There will be fighting in the streets if he claims to have won the election.

10. Do I have to put down every single detail of what I’ve done during the day?

Task two **

Complete the sentences below with a modal verb or phrase showing the degree of likelihood shown in brackets at the end of the sentence.

1. Surely they ... have chosen him. He’s such a difficult person.

(Impossibility)

2. There ... be someone in this room who saw the accident.

(Logical necessity)

3. There ... (a) ... be at least forty people at tonight’s meeting, and there ... (b) ... be fifty or even sixty. (a) Probability; (b) Possibility of fact

4. It’s not your fault. Someone ... have told him. (Certainty)

5. He’s not up to the job. He ... make decisions. (Negative ability)

6. Anything ... happen if you drive when you’re tired. (Possibility of the idea)

7 ... that the northern ice cap will have melted by the end of the century. (Possibility of fact)

8. If I ... do that, I’d just walk out of the job. (Hypothetical possibility)

9 ... she still be the head after all the trouble there’s been? (Possibility of fact)

10. The train didn’t stop in time. There ... be something wrong with the braking system. (Logical necessity)

Task three ***

Rewrite the following sentences replacing the modal verb with a suitable expression reflecting the degree of likelihood shown by the modal verb.

1. Well, she may get the grades she needs for university entrance.

2. Jobs have got to go. The company has to restructure itself.

3. Don’t worry. They will give in in the end.

4. The play should have started by now.

5. John could make that business work if he wanted to.

6. There might have been an accident. You don’t know.

7. After all these years, she can’t still be living in Brook Street.

8. There should be a bus home after the concert. After all, the concert finishes at 9.30.

9. She may not be the best 400-metre runner in the world, but she deserves a place in the team.

10. I must be dreaming. It can’t be you after all these years.

Task four **

Rewrite the sentences below, replacing the phrase underlined with a modal verb where possible.

1. It was necessary for someone to tell him to stop; otherwise we’d have had a lot of trouble from the management.

2. Right from the beginning, it was very unlikely that they would have selected her for the team.

3. It is possible that by mid-century people will be taking holidays on the moon.

4. It is almost certain that the financial director was in deep trouble and has chosen to disappear.

5. It’s not necessary to finish the project by the end of the week. The boss told you he doesn’t want the results until the end of the month.

6. It’s a pity for the old people, but, unavoidably, the bus service will be cancelled. Hardly anybody uses it.

7. Do you know how to increase the fonts available on this computer?

8. It’s possible for them to order a review of the way the money was spent.

9. They are bound to have questioned her about the missing documents.

10. If it were necessary to choose, would you want to do research or to teach?