Step 3 - Grammar

Grammar
Let's look at... modals. Examples of modal verbs are:
should have / might have / must have / could have
Read the text and match the bold modals to their meaning in the scheme below.

Text:
As soon as Inspector Reading arrived on the crime scene, he realised that he should have checked his voice mail before he left home.

He could have done that but never thought he had time. Besides, he rarely listened to voice mail, but now alone in the dark, chilly church yard he realised that he might have saved the poor boy’s life if he had listened to the message sooner.

Now, as he replayed the message for the fourth time, he realised that the killer must have known the boy.
 
Probability .....
Ability .....
Obligation and advice .....


How do we form past modals? Complete the rule.
To form past modals we use modal + have + ...............

Read the situations and rewrite a sentence with could have / must have / might have / should have. Click here .

Study the Grammar Desk.

KBModal verbs