Tenses And Modals Trivia Questions! Grammar Quiz
Modals and tenses have been one of the toughest topics for some students. Did you know can be used when it comes to things that take place at different times but don’t have a past form? Take up the educative quiz below and get an idea of how you can use the different modals when it comes to the different tenses. All the best and keep practicing.
- 1.
Modals of possibility.
- A.
Can, could, will, would
- B.
May, can, could
- C.
Could, may, might
- D.
Had better, ought to, should
- E.
Have got to, have to, must
Correct Answer
C. Could, may, mightExplanation
The correct answer includes the modal verbs "could," "may," and "might." These modal verbs are used to express possibility or uncertainty. "Could" suggests a possibility or ability, "may" indicates a possibility or permission, and "might" implies a possibility or uncertainty. Therefore, the answer includes modal verbs that are commonly used to express different degrees of possibility.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Modals of probability.
- A.
Could, may, might
- B.
May, can, could
- C.
Have got to, have to, must
- D.
Let's, why don't
- E.
Must, must not
Correct Answer
E. Must, must notExplanation
The modals "must" and "must not" are used to express a strong sense of probability or certainty. "Must" indicates that something is highly likely or necessary to happen, while "must not" indicates that something is highly unlikely or prohibited. These modals are often used when there is strong evidence or logical reasoning to support the probability or certainty of a situation.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Modals of permission.
- A.
Can, could
- B.
Can, could, will, would
- C.
Could, may, might
- D.
May, can, could
- E.
Simple form of a verb
Correct Answer
D. May, can, couldExplanation
The correct answer includes the modals "may," "can," and "could." These modals are used to express permission or ability. "May" is used to ask for permission or to give permission in a formal way. "Can" is used to ask for permission or to give permission in a less formal way. "Could" is used to ask for permission or to give permission in a more polite or tentative way. Therefore, the answer includes all the modals that can be used to express permission.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Modals of necessity.
- A.
Have got to, have to, must
- B.
Can, could, will, would
- C.
May, can, could
- D.
Could, may, might
- E.
Had better, ought to, should
Correct Answer
A. Have got to, have to, mustExplanation
These modal verbs, "have got to," "have to," and "must," all express necessity or obligation. They indicate that something is required or necessary to be done.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Modals of lack of necessity and prohibition.
- A.
Could, may, might
- B.
May, can, could
- C.
Can, could, will, would
- D.
Do not have to, must not
- E.
Simple form of a verb
Correct Answer
D. Do not have to, must notExplanation
The correct answer is "do not have to, must not." This is because "do not have to" expresses lack of necessity, indicating that something is not required or obligatory. On the other hand, "must not" expresses prohibition, indicating that something is not allowed or forbidden. These modals are used to convey different meanings related to lack of necessity and prohibition.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Modals of requesting assistance.
- A.
May, can, could
- B.
Do not have to, must not
- C.
Could, may, might
- D.
Can, could, will, would
- E.
Must, must not
Correct Answer
D. Can, could, will, wouldExplanation
The correct answer includes the modal verbs "can," "could," "will," and "would." These modal verbs are used to express different degrees of requesting assistance. "Can" and "could" are used to ask for permission or ability to do something, while "will" and "would" are used to make polite requests. Therefore, these modal verbs are appropriate for expressing requests for assistance.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Modal of making conclusions.
- A.
Why don't
- B.
Must
- C.
May
- D.
Would
- E.
Could
Correct Answer
B. MustExplanation
The correct answer is "must" because it indicates a strong certainty or necessity in making conclusions. It implies that there is a high level of confidence or obligation in the statement being made.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Modals of giving instructions.
- A.
Let's, why, don't
- B.
May, can, could
- C.
Could, may, might
- D.
Simple form of a verb
- E.
Can, could
Correct Answer
D. Simple form of a verbExplanation
The correct answer is "simple form of a verb". This is because when giving instructions, we often use the base form of a verb without any additional modals or auxiliary verbs. For example, "Sit down" or "Close the door". The other options listed are all examples of modals that can be used to give instructions, but they are not specifically related to the simple form of a verb.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Modals of making suggestions.
- A.
Simple form of a verb
- B.
Can, could, will, would
- C.
Must, must not
- D.
Could, may, might
- E.
Let's, why don't
Correct Answer
E. Let's, why don'tExplanation
The correct answer is "let's" and "why don't". These are examples of modals used to make suggestions. "Let's" is a contraction of "let us" and is used to suggest doing something together. "Why don't" is used to suggest a course of action or to make a polite suggestion. Both of these modals are commonly used in informal conversations to offer suggestions or make proposals.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Modals of showing a preference.
- A.
Must, must not
- B.
May, can, could
- C.
Like, better than, prefer, would rather
- D.
Do not have to, must not
- E.
Can, could, will, would
Correct Answer
C. Like, better than, prefer, would ratherExplanation
The given answer includes modal verbs and phrases that are used to express a preference. "Like" is used to express a general preference, while "better than" and "prefer" are used to compare two options and indicate a stronger preference for one over the other. "Would rather" is used to express a strong preference for one option instead of another. Therefore, all these modal verbs and phrases can be used to show a preference in different contexts.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Modal that shows ability in the present or in the future.
- A.
Must
- B.
Would
- C.
Can
- D.
Will
- E.
Could
Correct Answer
C. CanExplanation
The modal "can" is used to express ability in the present or in the future. It indicates that someone has the skill or capability to do something. For example, "I can speak French" means that the person has the ability to speak French at the present moment. Similarly, "She can swim" suggests that she has the ability to swim in general. "Can" is a versatile modal that can also be used to make requests, ask for permission, or express possibility.Rate this question:
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- 12.
Modal that shows ability in the past.
- A.
Will
- B.
Should
- C.
Would
- D.
Could
- E.
Can
Correct Answer
D. CouldExplanation
"Could" is the correct answer because it is used to express the ability to do something in the past. It indicates that someone had the capability or the possibility to do something in the past. The other options, such as "will," "should," "would," and "can," do not specifically refer to past ability.Rate this question:
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- 13.
Modal that shows an inability in the past.
- A.
Would not or wouldn't
- B.
Should not or shouldn't
- C.
Have not or haven't
- D.
Could not or couldn't
- E.
I don not know or I don't know
Correct Answer
D. Could not or couldn'tExplanation
The correct answer is "could not or couldn't" because it is used to express an inability in the past. It indicates that someone was unable to do something in the past due to some constraint or limitation.Rate this question:
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- 14.
Which of the following signifies a modal of ability?
- A.
Can I have some candy?
- B.
Can he have some candy?
- C.
Can you have some candy
- D.
Can we have some candy?
- E.
Can they have some candy?
Correct Answer
C. Can you have some candyExplanation
The correct answer is "Can you have some candy." This question signifies a modal of ability because it is asking if the person is capable of having some candy.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Which of the following modals of permission is considered more informal?
- A.
May
- B.
Could
- C.
Can
- D.
Can, could
- E.
May, could
Correct Answer
C. CanExplanation
The modal "can" is considered more informal compared to "may" and "could". "Can" is commonly used in everyday speech and informal situations to ask for or give permission. "May" and "could" are more formal and polite alternatives to "can" when asking for permission.Rate this question:
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- 16.
Which of the following sentences is correct?
- A.
Cats can read.
- B.
Jessi could teach reading class.
- C.
Matt can sings well.
- D.
ESL learners must studies hard.
- E.
Paffi could breakdance when she was a little girl.
Correct Answer
E. Paffi could breakdance when she was a little girl.Explanation
The correct answer is "Paffi could breakdance when she was a little girl." This sentence is correct because it uses the past tense form "could" to indicate Paffi's ability to breakdance in the past, and it also correctly uses the past tense "was" to indicate her age at that time.Rate this question:
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- 17.
Which of the following sentences is incorrect?
- A.
Joanne can kiss the frog prince.
- B.
Can Gholam sleep in the bathroom?
- C.
Diann, would you like to dance with me?
- D.
Hovering could jumped 3 feet high when she was 10 years old.
- E.
Richard will arrive from Germany this evening.
Correct Answer
D. Hovering could jumped 3 feet high when she was 10 years old. -
- 18.
Which of the following rules is not true?
- A.
Can and could are followed by the simple form of the verb.
- B.
Modals are always accompanied by other verbs.
- C.
Modals are never conjugated.
- D.
Modals are followed by the simple form of the verb
- E.
Could, may and might are conjugated.
Correct Answer
E. Could, may and might are conjugated.Explanation
The correct answer is "Could, may and might are conjugated." This means that these modal verbs can be changed based on the subject of the sentence, unlike other modals which remain the same regardless of the subject.Rate this question:
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- 19.
Hovering: Where is Linda? Joanne: Linda must be sick. She always comes to Skype. is an example of...
- A.
Present Continuous Tense
- B.
Present Perfect Tense
- C.
Simple Present Tense
- D.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- E.
Jessi is beautiful
Correct Answer
C. Simple Present TenseExplanation
The given statement "Linda must be sick. She always comes to Skype." is an example of the Simple Present Tense. This tense is used to talk about general truths, habits, and routines. In this case, Joanne is using the present tense to express her belief that Linda is sick because she always comes to Skype, implying that it is unusual for her to not be present.Rate this question:
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- 20.
Richard: Why isn't Jessi answering the door? Gholam: She must be sleeping. is an example of...
- A.
Present Perfect Tense
- B.
Simple Present Tense
- C.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- D.
Present Continuous Tense
- E.
Jessi is really beautiful.
Correct Answer
D. Present Continuous TenseExplanation
The correct answer is Present Continuous Tense. In the given conversation, Richard is asking about Jessi's current action of not answering the door. Gholam responds by suggesting that she must be sleeping, indicating that her action is happening at the present moment. This use of "must be" + verb-ing is a characteristic of the Present Continuous Tense, which is used to describe ongoing actions happening in the present.Rate this question:
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- 21.
Jessi: Where are your books? Diann: I must have left them in the classroom. is an example of...
- A.
Present Continuous Tense
- B.
Simple Present Tense
- C.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- D.
Present Perfect Tense
- E.
Jessi is very beautiful.
Correct Answer
D. Present Perfect TenseExplanation
The given conversation "I must have left them in the classroom" indicates that Diann is referring to a past action of leaving her books in the classroom. The use of "must have" suggests a deduction or assumption about a past event. Therefore, the conversation is an example of the Present Perfect Tense, which is used to describe past actions or events that have a connection to the present.Rate this question:
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- 22.
Antonio: Why wasn't Linda at home last night when we stopped by her house. Miguel: Her grandmother hasn't been feeling well. She must have been visiting her. is an example of...
- A.
Present Perfect Tense
- B.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- C.
Present Continuous Tense
- D.
Simple Present Tense
- E.
Jessi is extremely beautiful.
Correct Answer
B. Present Perfect Continuous TenseExplanation
The conversation between Antonio and Miguel suggests that Linda was not at home because she has been visiting her grandmother, indicating an ongoing action or situation in the past. This aligns with the usage of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, which is used to describe an action that started in the past, has continued up until the present, and may still be ongoing.Rate this question:
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- 23.
Jessi __________ live without love.
Correct Answer
canExplanation
The word "can" is used to express ability or capability. In this sentence, it suggests that Jessi has the ability to live without love.Rate this question:
- 24.
Matt __________ speak Tagalog when he was in The Philippines.
Correct Answer
couldExplanation
The word "could" is the correct answer because it indicates the past ability or possibility for Matt to speak Tagalog when he was in The Philippines. It suggests that Matt had the capability or skill to speak Tagalog during his time in The Philippines.Rate this question:
- 25.
Miguel, _________ you take Tony to Jessi's pad?
Correct Answer
can
could
will
wouldExplanation
The correct answer is "can, could, will, would" because all four options are modal verbs that can be used to ask for permission or make polite requests. In this context, any of these modal verbs can be used to ask Miguel if he is able to take Tony to Jessi's pad.Rate this question:
- 26.
I'm sorry Linda but I ___________ stay at home and watch TV than drench myself out in the summer rain.
Correct Answer
would ratherExplanation
The correct answer is "would rather". This phrase is used to express a preference for one option over another. In this context, the speaker is saying that they prefer to stay at home and watch TV instead of going out in the summer rain.Rate this question:
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