Question

Can you help me? Please I) Circle all the suitable modal verbs in the text. There may be more than one correct choice.

Mark Stewart and Jonathan Pierce, candidates for this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry, announced today that they (1) may/could/need give up their research on a new generation of antidepressants. Professor Pierce said: ‘We (2) can’t/ have to/ mustn’t bear the thought that our work (3) must/should/might be used to harm, rather than help people. This is what we fear happened with our research on anaesthetics. We (4) could/were able/may produce a chemical substance that (5) shall/could/might alleviate migraine pain by 80%. However, we’ve now been informed that the results of our research (6) may/can/could have been used to produce a poison gas. This shows how careful scientists (7) ought/have/must to be with disclosing their work. We probably (8) shouldn’t/needn’t/couldn’t have published the results of our research. In future, we (9) must/will/can be more careful because it’s our duty to think about how scientific data (10) should/must/can be used’.

II) Use the words in brackets to rewrite these statements.

Example: It’s a pity you didn’t visit Florence when you were in Italy. – You should have visited Florence when you were in Italy.

1. It’s possible that he isn’t as clever as he looks. (may)

2. I advise you to take some pills. (ought to)

3. She wore her evening dress unnecessarily; formal clothes weren’t required. (need)

4. Don’t touch this bottle – there’s poison in it. (must)

5. I’m sure he didn’t accept any bribes – he’s too honest for that. (can)

6. Look at him. It’s obvious that he’s suffering. (must)

7. She’s like to come up with the solution. (might)

8. It was impossible for us to come to the meeting. (could)

9 It’s possible that the trains were delayed. (may)

10. There was no need to buy the tickets – the museum was free on Sunday.