may / must / can / mustn't / needn't / can't

(pre-intermediate level)

Fill in the gaps:

  1 '____ I go out, mummy?' - 'No, you ____ , you ____ do your homework.

  2 The doctor says I ____ stay in bed till my temperature falls.

  3 You ____ water the flowers, Dora has already watered them.

  4 ____ you play the piano? - I ____ play very well.

  5 You ____ smoke in the classroom, you ____ smoke only in the corridor.

  6 There isn't water in the pool, so we ____ swim today.

  7 Tony's got a bad cold, so he ____ swim today.

  8 There's a bridge over the river, so we ____ swim across.

  9 'Have you got enough money?' - 'Oh, yes, we ____ go to the bank.'

10 They ____ hurry if they want to catch the bus.

11 '____ I sit here?' - 'Yes, you ____ sit anywhere in the room.'

12 '____ I turn on my radio?' - 'No, you ____ , everybody's sleeping?'

13 There's a bus to George Street, so we ____ walk.

14 Dora ____ walk because she broke her leg.

15 '____ I go to the cinema?' - 'Yes, but you ____ get home before ten.'

16 You ____ cross the street when the light is red.

17 You ____ cross the street here - there are railings all around.

18 '____ I take a bus?' - 'No, you ____ . The station is not very far.'

19 We ____ walk to the other side of the wood, there's a river in between.

20 The boss says we ____ leave the office before we finish this work.

Possible solutions:

  1 May I go out, mummy?' - 'No, you mustn't, you must do your homework.

  2 The doctor says I must stay in bed till my temperature falls.

  3 You needn't water the flowers, Dora has already watered them.

  4 Can you play the piano? - I can't play very well.

  5 You mustn't smoke in the classroom, you may smoke only in the corridor.

  6 There isn't water in the pool, so we can't swim today.

  7 Tony's got a bad cold, so he mustn't swim today.

  8 There's a bridge over the river, so we needn't swim across.

  9 'Have you got enough money?' - 'Oh, yes, we needn't go to the bank.'

10 They must hurry if they want to catch the bus.

11 'May I sit here?' - 'Yes, you may sit anywhere in the room.'

12 'May I turn on my radio?' - 'No, you mustn't, everybody's sleeping.'

13 There's a bus to George Street, so we needn't walk.

14 Dora can't walk because she broke her leg.

15 'May I go to the cinema?' - 'Yes, but you must get home before ten.'

16 You mustn't cross the street when the light is red.

17 You can't cross the street here - there are railings all around.

18 'Must I take a bus?' - 'No, you needn't . The station is not very far.'

19 We can't walk to the other side of the wood, there's a river in between.

20 The boss says we mustn't leave the office before we finish this work.

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