Advanced grammar tests - English exam centre 2015

Modality / Test-3

1. You ... the meeting this week if you are too busy. There is going to be another one next week and you ... to that one.

A) might not attend / would go

B) needn’t attend / can go

C) can’t attend / have gone

D) won’t have attended / go

E) didn’t attend / used to go

2. You look as if you are having trouble with your homework. ... you like me to help you with it?

A) Could

B) Did

C) May

D) Would

E) Shall

3. I thought that I had my keys with me, but I can’t find them in my coat. I ... them in my other coat.

A) am supposed to leave

B) am able to leave

C) would rather have left

D) must have left

E) could leave

4. I’ve heard that Mr. Benner is the toughest teacher for this course. You ... to get another teacher, or you can’t get a good mark.

A) had better try

B) must have tried

C) have tried

D) would try

E) might have tried

5. You ... to bed early the night before an exam. A good night’s sleep will do you more good than studying all night and then falling asleep in the exam.

A) will have gone

B) may go

C) ought to go

D) would go

E) would rather go

6. Would you mind ... your music so loudly? I am trying to study.

A) not play

B) not playing

C) didn’t play

D) not to play

E) haven’t played

7. The former president never ... to the press, but this one is much more accessible.

A) could have talked

B) should be talking

C) must have talked

D) has to talk

E) used to talk

8. Hurray! We ... to school today because it is snowing so hard.

A) haven’t been going

B) shouldn’t have gone

C) must not have gone

D) don’t have to go

E) may not have gone

9. Wilber ... smoking and eating meat after his heart attack, but he didn’t and now he has had a second one.

A) should have stopped

B) must have stopped

C) was able to stop

D) will have stopped

E) used to stop

10. According to the weather report, it ... tomorrow, and if it does, we ... the hike I’ve been looking forward to.

A) ought to rain / cancelled

B) must rain / were able to cancel

C) may rain / will have to cancel

D) would be raining / had to cancel

E) has been raining / must cancel

11. I know you have a lot of work to do, but it is your own fault; you ... everything until the last minute.

A) can’t have left

B) might not leave

C) must not have left

D) shouldn’t have left

E) haven’t been leaving

12. I’d really rather ... in Hawaii at the moment than stuck behind this desk all day.

A) I am surfing

B) to be surfing

c) to surf

D) have surfed

E) be surfing

13. You ... your plane ticket so far in advance because flights to Birmingham are never full.

A) can’t buy

B) needn’t have bought

C) didn’t use to buy

D) haven’t bought

E) couldn’t have bought

14. In Iran and Saudi Arabia, all women ... their heads outside of the house, but in most Muslim countries it is optional.

A) have to cover

B) must have covered

C) could be covering

D) might cover

E) used to cover

15. I ... a stockbroker if I had wanted to, but I thought life as a bass guitarist in a heavy metal band would be far more interested.

A) was able to become

B) may have become

C) had become

D) could have become

E) used to become

16. You ... more carefully. Now the insurance company won’t pay you anything because the accident was your fault.

A) must have been driving

B) should be driving

C) had been driving

D) ought to have been driving

E) have been driving

17. I’d rather you ... out tonight because, according to the news, there could be trouble downtown.

A) haven’t gone

B) not to go

C) didn’t go

D) won’t go

E) not going

18. A friend of mine told me that I ... India in the summer, because that is the monsoon season, when it is both too hot and too wet.

A) didn’t use to visit

B) needn’t visit

C) haven’t visited

D) might not visit

E) shouldn’t visit

19. Hawaii is such an expensive place to live and the wages are so low that you ... very hard just to get by.

A) are able to work

B) have to work

C) have worked

D) must have worked

E) used to work

20. We had better hurry if we want to get back to the hotel before the curfew. No one ... out after dark, except for the patrol forces, you know.

A) could have been

B) is supposed to be

C) has been

D) has to be

E) should have been

21. Mike couldn’t attend university because he ... his family when his father died.

A) had to support

B) must have supported

C) could be supporting

D) has been supporting

E) will have supported

22. Petroleum deposits can occur almost anywhere - they ... under desert, under fertile land, or even under the sea.

A) ought to be

B) may be

C) must be

D) were

E) should have been

23. Using the latest and most expensive technology, including nuclear batteries, space scientists ... to the furthest reaches of our solar system now.

A) were probing

B) may have probed

C) used to probe

D) are able to probe

E) must have probed

24. Now remember, when you are in the race you ... to run too fast in the first few laps because you will need plenty of energy for the final sprint.

A) haven’t tried

B) shouldn’t have tried

C) mustn’t try

D) might not try

E) didn’t use to try

25. There are some sounds that are out of the range of the human ear but which dogs ... .

A) ought to hear

B) have heard

C) can hear

D) have to hear

E) used to hear

26. My sister ... a German teacher because her German was fluent, but she decided to become an accountant instead.

A) has become

B) had to become

C) will become

D) could have become

E) must have become

27. You ... me at work. The boss was really angry because he had warned me before about personal calls.

A) must not have phoned

B) shouldn’t have phoned

C) didn’t phone

D) didn’t use to phone

E) can’t have phoned

28. Sally ... Italian like a native, but since she moved to Indiana, she has forgotten most of it.

A) used to speak

B) had spoken

C) was supposed to speak

D) has been speaking

E) must have spoken

29. While there seem to be plenty of unexploited petroleum reserves, some experts worry that there ... enough to carry us through the next century.

A) may not be

B) haven’t been

C) didn’t use to be

D) don’t have to be

E) had better not be

30. Today no one can imagine what a battle at sea was like in the days of sail. It ... both an impressive and a frightening sight.

A) might be

B) could be

C) ought to be

D) has been

E) must have been

31. When we went to Japan, we ... anything for ourselves because our Japanese hosts took care of everything.

A) must not have done

B) needn’t have done

C) didn’t need to do

D) couldn’t have done

E) ought not to do

32. A: I hear a noise coming from the kitchen.

B: My greedy brother ... for something to eat.

A) must be looking

B) should have looked

C) used to look

D) ought to be looking

E) has looked

33. A: Did you know that classes were cancelled yesterday because the heating in the building failed?

B: No, but I ... anyway because I was in bed all day with flu.

A) didn’t use to attend

B) won’t be attending

C) must not have attended

D) haven’t attended

E) couldn’t have attended

34. I know I ... for a job, but there are so few jobs for a person of my abilities, which is discouraging.

A) had been looking

B) ought to look

C) must have looked

D) was able to look

E) used to look

35. I ... the same computer program when I worked at a bank, so it ... easy for me to adjust to this new job.

A) should be using / could be

B) used to use / should be

C) need to use / would be

D) must have used / must be

E) might have used / can be

36. He ... as carefully as he claimed he was.

Why did he bump me to the lamp post then?

A) doesn’t have to drive

B) isn’t supposed to drive

C) won’t have been driving

D) shouldn’t have driven

E) can’t have been driving

37. Would you mind if I ... early this afternoon? I have a dentist appointment at 4:30.

A) to leave

B) had left

C) leaving

D) left

E) have left

38. I’m so glad that I ... to the meeting place on time yesterday despite the heavy traffic, or the boss would have been really annoyed.

A) was able to get

B) have got

C) used to get

D) should have got

E) had to get

39. Sean ... married three months ago and since then he ... out drinking with his old friends.

A) had got / ought not to go

B) used to get / couldn’t have gone

C) got / hasn’t been able to go

D) has got / shouldn’t be going

E) was getting / didn’t have to go

40. These days, he ... to stop smoking and playing cards as well because his wife is so strict with him, so his life will have changed completely soon.

A) used to try

B) is trying

C) tried

D) had to try

E) could have tried

41. It is hardly surprising that he gets depressed and wonders if he really ... married.

A) may have got

B) must have got

C) used to get

D) will have got

E) ought to have got

42. Though Sally ... how to swim, when she met a young man who was a professional diver, she learned quickly.

A) hasn’t known

B) might not know

C) can’t know

D) wouldn’t know

E) didn’t know

43. Our father never earned much money, but he ... something nice for us whenever he ... .

A) should buy / did

B) had to buy / does

C) would buy / could

D) must have bought / can

E) would rather buy / has

44. Where have you been? You ... here at 2 o’clock, and it’s almost 3.

A) must have been

B) were supposed to be

C) were able to be

D) are going to be

E) have been

45. I told my flatmate to buy some bread, but he ... because there isn’t any here.

A) must have forgotten

B) ought to be forgetting

C) could forget

D) should have forgotten

E) was able to forget

46. Sue has only been in Egypt for a year and she already speaks Arabic fluently. She ... it that quickly. I’m sure she had started studying it before she left England.

A) shouldn’t have learned

B) won’t have learned

C) can’t have learned

D) didn’t use to learn

E) isn’t supposed to learn

47. Do you think Jeff ... to join us on our hike? Does he like this sort of activity?

A) would rather

B) was able

C) has been able

D) had better

E) would like

48. Sam is such a good swimmer that he ... the Olympic record for the 100 metre race, but unfortunately he didn’t compete because of a pulled shoulder muscle.

A) is going to break

B) must have broken

C) could have broken

D) is supposed to break

E) had to break

49. I wonder what the problem was in the restaurant last night. Three members of staff ... tables, but there was only one, I must speak to the restaurant manager.

A) could be clearing

B) ought to be clearing

C) should have been clearing

D) must have been clearing

E) were clearing

50. Hey, watch where you are going! You ... me!

A) could have killed

B) should have killed

C) have killed

D) will have killed

E) used to kill