🔐 Grammar/Function: Modal Verbs
1ère Bac Sciences et Technologies Elécriques STE
📌 Introduction
Modal verbs help us express possibility, permission, obligation, and prohibition. They are essential in speaking and writing exams.
Science Tip: “In the lab, you must wear goggles. You must not touch chemicals without gloves.”
📚 Modal Verbs & Functions
| Modal | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | Permission / Ability | Can I leave early? |
| could | Polite permission | Could I use your pen? |
| may | Formal permission | May I go to the lab? |
| must | Obligation | You must wear a uniform. |
| must not | Prohibition | You must not eat in class. |
| might | Possibility | It might rain tomorrow. |
✅ Exercise 1: Match the Function
1. “You must wear a helmet.” →
2. “Can I leave the room?” →
3. “Smoking is not allowed here.” →
4. “It might snow tonight.” →
5. “Students may use the library.” →
✅ Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Modal
1. You ___ wear a seatbelt in the car. It’s the law.
2. ___ I borrow your notebook?
3. Students ___ use phones during exams.
4. It ___ rain later. Check the weather.
5. Visitors ___ enter the lab without permission.
✅ Exercise 3: Complete the Sentence
1. You ___ wash your hands before the experiment.
2. ___ we leave early today?
3. You ___ eat in the science lab. It’s dangerous.
4. The results ___ be wrong. We should check again.
5. Students ___ ask questions during the lecture.
✅ Exercise 4: Science Lab Rules
1. You ___ wear safety goggles.
2. You ___ touch chemicals with bare hands.
3. ___ I use the microscope?
4. The data ___ be inaccurate.
5. You ___ clean your station after class.
✅ Exercise 5: Correct the Mistake
1. You can’t must wear a uniform. →
2. Can I don’t eat in class? →
3. You might to wear gloves. →
4. Must I can leave now? →
5. You must not can touch that wire. →
✅ Exercise 6: Fill in the Blank
1. You ___ not enter without permission. ()
2. ___ I ask a question? ()
3. Students ___ wear lab coats. It’s required. ()
4. The experiment ___ fail. We need backup data. ()
5. You ___ eat during the biology class. ()
✅ Exercise 7: Choose the Polite Form
1. “Can I go?” (more polite) →
2. “Can I borrow this?” →
3. “Can I leave?” →
4. “Can I use your pen?” →
5. “Can I ask a question?” →
✅ Exercise 8: Real-Life Situation
1. You want to leave class early. What do you say?
2. A rule says “No phones”. How do you say it?
3. The weather forecast says “50% chance of rain”. →
4. School uniform is required. →
5. Eating in class is not allowed. →
✅ Exercise 9: Science Context
1. In the lab, you ___ follow safety rules.
2. You ___ not taste unknown chemicals.
3. ___ I use the centrifuge?
4. The results ___ be affected by temperature.
5. Students ___ record data accurately.
✅ Exercise 10: Write a Sentence
Use modals correctly:
1. obligation:
2. permission:
3. prohibition:
4. possibility:
5. polite request:
