Unit 10
Lesson 2
SB page 73
GRAMMAR
Grammar: Modal verbs of possibility in the past
4 Complete the following sentences from the text, using the past form of the modal verbs in brackets. Check your answers in the text.
1 They goods such as spices, gold and animals. (might trade)
2 Many Roman writers wrote about what the Nabatean culture like. (must be)
3 The language of the Nabateans a mixture of Arabic and Aramaic. (could be)
4 The Nabatean society any slaves. (might not use)
5 They illiterate because there are some inscriptions that remain. (can’t be)
Answers
1 might have traded
2 must have been
3 could have been
4 might not have used
5 can’t have been
6 I would like someone to make me my favourite dish when I first arrive.
5 Choose the correct modal verb in the sentences.
1 It must have been / couldn’t have been Tom who you saw in the street yesterday – he’s gone away for a week.
2 I’m sorry to hear that your trip has been cancelled. That might have been / must have been a disappointment.
3 I don’t know where I’ve put my glasses. I must have left / might have left them on my desk at home. Or I might have left / couldn’t have left them in the car.
Answers
1 couldn’t have been
2 must have been
3 might have left, might have left
Speaking
6 Look at the photographs. Work in pairs and make sentences about what may have happened. Use must have / might have / could have.
a A car might have broken down on the road
Suggested answers
a A car might have broken down on the road.
b She could have got very good marks in an exam.
c He might have won a competition.
d The tree must have blown down in a storm.
7 Work in small groups. Share your answers to the following questions with your group.
- What is the best dish you have ever had? Did you prepare it or have it prepared?
- How did you cook it or get it cooked?
- Why was it a special meal?
- Do you want it cooked again? Why?
Answers Students’ own answers
Unit 10
Lesson 2
Activity Book page 53
GRAMMAR
2 Complete the text, using the past form of the modal verbs in brackets.
The giant heads of Easter Island have been a mystery for centuries. Scientists have wondered how the islanders (1) ……………. (could transport) the huge stone statues 18 kilometres from where they were made. The islanders did not have wheels or any kind of machine, which leads some experts to believe that they (2)…………….. (must use) sledges, ropes, and rollers made from trees to move the ‘Moai’, as the statues are called. Another speculation that archaeologists have put forward is that the islanders (3)………………. (might move) the statues, which weigh on average 10 tons, by rocking them forward with ropes. The islanders (4)…………….. (could be able) to do this because of the large stomachs that had been carved on the statues.
Answers
1 could have transported
2 must have used
3 might have moved
4 could have been able
3 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false sentences.
1 The statues might have been transported by planes.
2 Some scientists have suggested that the islanders could have used rollers made from trees to move the statues.
3 The islanders might have rocked the statues with ropes to move them.
4 The large stomachs on the statues must have made it difficult for the islanders to move the statues.
Answers
1 F. The statues might have been transported using sledges, ropes and rollers.
2 T
3 T
4 F. The large stomachs on the statues might have made it easy for the islanders to move the statues.
4 Write your own speculations about how the statues were transported and why they were built. Use might have, could have and must have. The islanders might have
Answers
Students’ own answers
