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Modals of Deduction (must, might, can't) – Test 2

B1 Intermediate GrammarEnglish

This B1 grammar test checks how well learners use must, might and can't to make guesses and deductions about the present, with a short look at past deductions. It covers meaning, form, negatives, questions and typical learner errors such as 'mustn't' for negative certainty. It suits intermediate learners, classroom revision and self-study.

Questions
30
Time
30 min
PDF
4 pages
Answer key
Included
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New to this topic? Read the guide first: Modals of Deduction (must, might, can't): Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes

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Choose the best option (A, B, C or D) for each question. Choose your answers, then press “Check my answers”.

Part 1: Must, might or can't?

Read each situation and choose the modal verb that fits best.

  1. Carmen has three dogs and two cats, and she volunteers at an animal shelter. She _____ love animals.

  2. This _____ be the right address. There's no house here, only a car park.

  3. I don't know what's in the box. It _____ be a present from my aunt – she sometimes sends me things.

  4. Everyone in the restaurant is smiling and all the plates are empty. The food _____ be good.

  5. Mr Novak is only 35. He _____ be Lucy's grandfather!

  6. Don't eat that yogurt. It _____ be old – I don't remember when I bought it.

  7. Ravi _____ be at the gym. His sports bag is still here by the door.

  8. The museum _____ be open on Mondays. Let's check the website before we go.

  9. Wei is wearing a hospital uniform and carrying a medical bag. She _____ be a nurse.

  10. Please be quiet. The children _____ be sleeping now – it's ten o'clock at night.

Part 2: Form and common mistakes

Choose the correct form, the correct sentence, or the part of the sentence that contains a mistake.

  1. Choose the correct sentence.

  2. Find the mistake: 'Look at her new car! She must earns a lot of money.'

  3. _____ he be lost? He's never been to this city before.

  4. Paula _____ Spanish – her passport is from Brazil.

  5. Choose the correct sentence.

  6. Where are the twins? They _____ in the garden – I can hear them laughing.

  7. Find the mistake: 'Somebody is calling you. It can be your mum – she always calls at six.'

  8. Which question means 'Is it possible that this is the right bus?'

Part 3: Reading – The kitchen mystery

Read the text and answer the questions.

When Nadia and her brother Leo got home on Saturday evening, the kitchen was a mess. There were small muddy footprints across the floor, and the sandwich Leo had left on the table was half-eaten.

'Someone must have been in here,' said Leo.

'It can't be a burglar,' said Nadia. 'Look – the TV and the laptop are still here. And these footprints are tiny. It must be an animal.'

Leo looked at the window. It was open a little. 'You're right. It might be the cat from next door. She sometimes sits on our wall.'

'It can't be her,' said Nadia. 'Mrs Osei told me yesterday that she's taking the cat to her sister's house for the weekend.'

Just then they heard a noise from the cupboard under the sink. Leo opened it slowly. A small grey dog looked up at them, with bread on its nose.

'Oh! It must be Biscuit, the new puppy from number twelve,' laughed Nadia. 'The Tanakas will be worried. They might be looking for him right now.'

  1. Why is Nadia sure that the visitor wasn't a burglar?

  2. Leo's idea about the cat from next door is…

  3. Why does Nadia say 'It can't be her'?

  4. 'It must be Biscuit' means…

  5. Which sentence from the text is a guess about something that is possibly happening at the moment?

  6. The footprints were very small, so the visitor _____ be a person.

Part 4: Responses, meaning and past deductions

Choose the best response or the correct option to complete each sentence.

  1. A: Kemal has just run a marathon. B: _____

  2. A: Is that Grace's sister? They look exactly the same! B: _____

  3. A: Who's that woman talking to the head teacher? B: I don't know. She _____ be a new teacher, or maybe she's a parent.

  4. Yusuf studied every day, but he still failed the exam. The exam _____ very difficult.

  5. Fatima already knows about the meeting. She _____ my email.

  6. Your friend tells you some surprising news, and you say 'You can't be serious!' You mean…

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Practise with a worksheet: Modals of Deduction (must, might, can't) – Worksheet 1

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About this test

This B1 grammar test checks how well learners use must, might and can't to make guesses and deductions about the present, with a short look at past deductions. It covers meaning, form, negatives, questions and typical learner errors such as 'mustn't' for negative certainty. It suits intermediate learners, classroom revision and self-study.

Topics covered

Modals of deductionmust for certaintymight for possibilitycan't for impossibilitymust be + -ingQuestions with couldPast deduction with must haveCommon errors

How to use this test

  1. Download the PDF and print it, or take the test online below.
  2. Answer every question without a dictionary or time pressure.
  3. Check your answers and note the topics you need to review.

Notes for teachers

Use this test after presenting must, might and can't for deduction, or as revision before moving on to past modals. It targets common B1 errors: using mustn't instead of can't for negative certainty, adding 'to' or a verb ending after a modal, using 'can' for a specific possibility, and confusing deduction with obligation. As follow-up, give students mystery pictures or situations and ask them to make deductions with each modal, then justify their level of certainty.