Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
Sometimes we know a fact for certain: "It is raining." But very often in real life we are not sure, and we need to say how likely something is. Is it certain? Is it just possible? Is it impossible? English uses a small group of modal verbs to show exactly how confident we are.
In this unit you will learn the modals of possibility and deduction: may, might and could (possible), must (I'm almost sure it is true), and can't (I'm almost sure it is impossible). Choosing the right one is one of the most useful speaking skills at B1.
Modals are easy to build. After the modal, we always use the base verb (the infinitive without to). The modal never changes for the subject — there is no -s in the third person, and we never add do / does.
| Subject | Modal | Base verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | may / might / could | be, rain, know | They might know the answer. |
| he / she / it | may / might / could | be, rain, know | She could be right. |
| it (deduction) | must / can't | be, mean | It must be a mistake. |
To say that something is possible now or possible in the future, we use may, might or could. In most everyday sentences the three are almost the same in meaning — each one means "perhaps".
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| may | perhaps (a little more formal) | It may rain this afternoon. |
| might | perhaps (very common in speech) | She might be at home now. |
| could | perhaps (one of several options) | He could be right — I'm not sure. |
This is the heart of the unit. Think of a "certainty line". At one end you are sure something IS true; at the other end you are sure it is NOT true. The modal you choose shows exactly where you are on that line.
| How sure? | Modal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 100% sure it is true | must | She must be exhausted. |
| Maybe true (about 50%) | may / might / could | She might be exhausted. |
| Maybe not true | may not / might not | She might not be exhausted. |
| 100% sure it is impossible | can't | She can't be exhausted — she slept all day! |
Be careful: there are two ways to be negative, and they mean very different things. May not / might not means "perhaps not". Can't (or couldn't) means "impossible" — much stronger.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| may not / might not | it is possible that it is NOT true | He might not come to the party. (Maybe he won't.) |
| can't / couldn't | it is impossible / I'm sure it is not true | He can't be at the party — he is in Paris! (Impossible.) |
When we look at the evidence and reach a confident conclusion, we use must (I'm sure it is true) or can't (I'm sure it is not true). This is called deduction. Notice: can't is the negative of must here — not "mustn't".
| Evidence | Conclusion | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The lights are on and I can hear music. | must (positive) | Someone must be at home. |
| It's midnight and every window is dark. | can't (negative) | They can't be awake now. |
| He hasn't eaten since morning. | must (positive) | He must be really hungry. |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with modals of possibility. Check your own sentences against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| It can rain later, take a coat. | It might rain later, take a coat. | for possibility in a statement we use may/might/could, not "can". |
| She mights be at school. | She might be at school. | no -s and no "to" after a modal. |
| He must to be tired. | He must be tired. | modal + base verb, never "to". |
| That mustn't be true. | That can't be true. | negative deduction uses can't, not mustn't. |
| They can be Turkish, I'm not sure. | They could be Turkish, I'm not sure. | uncertain guess → may/might/could. |
Two friends at the school fair see a boy they do not know and try to work out who he is. Read it twice and notice how they move along the "certainty line" — from a wild guess, to a possibility, to a confident conclusion.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them to speculate about the world around you.
Write 8 sentences in which you speculate about people or situations. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): possible · possibility · perhaps · certain · clue · evidence · obvious · probably · likely
When Aylin arrived at the garden clubhouse on Saturday morning, something was strange. The fairy lights inside were on, but nobody was there. Her friend Berk's coat was hanging on his chair, and a cup of hot chocolate sat on the little table. However, Berk himself was nowhere to be seen.
Aylin and her friends had used the clubhouse for almost two years, so she knew it very well. On a normal Saturday, it was full of happy sounds, but this morning everything was silent. She liked to think carefully, and she did not want to worry for no reason. Perhaps someone had forgotten to switch off the lights, or perhaps a friend had arrived very early. Whatever the reason, she was sure there would be a simple explanation.
Berk was one of her best friends, and he was almost never late. In fact, he often arrived first and made hot chocolate for everyone. 'This is very odd,' Aylin thought. 'He can't be far away, because his coat and drink are still here.' She touched the cup: it was still warm. 'He must be somewhere close,' she guessed.
Aylin decided to look for clues, just like a detective in her favourite mystery books. A drawing lay half finished next to a pencil, as if Berk had stood up in a hurry. His bike was still leaning against the fence outside. Each small detail was a piece of evidence. 'If he had gone home,' she reasoned, 'he would have taken his coat and his bike.' She checked her phone, but there were no messages. 'So it can't be anything serious,' she thought.
There were several possibilities. Perhaps Berk was feeding the dog, or maybe he had gone to get some snacks. He might be talking to his mum in the house. It was also possible that he was simply out in the garden. Aylin was not certain, but she did not think anything was wrong.
One by one, she checked her ideas. The kitchen was empty, and there was nobody among the trees. Then she met Deniz, another friend, who was just arriving. 'Have you seen Berk?' Aylin asked. Deniz shook her head. 'No, but his bike is here, so he must be somewhere nearby,' she replied.
Then she noticed a clue on the table: a small note. It said, 'Back in 10 minutes.' Now the evidence was obvious. 'He can't be in trouble,' Aylin said, feeling relieved. 'He probably just went to the front gate.' She remembered what her teacher liked to say: when you hear hooves, think of horses, not zebras. In other words, the common answer is usually the correct one.
Suddenly, the door opened and Berk walked in, carrying a large box. 'Sorry!' he said. 'The parcel with our new board games arrived early, so I ran to the gate to collect it.' Aylin laughed. The mystery was solved.
Together, they opened the box and found a stack of shiny new board games. Berk grinned as he hung his coat up properly this time. 'You read too many detective stories,' he joked. Still, Aylin was quietly pleased with herself. She had stayed calm and looked at the evidence. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the likely one, and there is usually no need to worry.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text.
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why did Aylin decide that Berk "must be somewhere close"?
2. What possibilities did Aylin think of before she found the note?
3. Why do you think Aylin felt relieved when she read the note?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, however, or, then. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd and Sarah talk about how they react in different everyday situations.
You will hear two friends, Todd and Sarah, talking about what they do when they feel stressed, tired, bored or angry. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you show contrast, background and extra information like a confident writer — and they work perfectly when you speculate about a mystery.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | The door was open, and the lights were on. |
| but | show a small contrast | He might be here, but I can't see him. |
| so | show a result | The hot chocolate was warm, so he must be close. |
| because | give a reason | It can't be Ana because she is abroad. |
| also | add an extra point | He may be at lunch. He could also be upstairs. |
| when | say at what time | When I arrived, the clubhouse was empty. |
| while | two things at the same time | While I was thinking, the phone rang. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although it looked strange, nothing was wrong. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | It might be serious. However, it was just a note. |
A "mystery" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Describe the strange situation | Last week I found a mysterious box outside my door. |
| 2. Body | Speculate: list possibilities with may/might/could, then reach conclusions with must / can't. Link with connectors. | It might be a gift, but it can't be from Ali, because he is away. It must be from a neighbour. |
| 3. Closing | Say what happened, or what you still wonder | In the end, I still don't know who sent it. |
Imagine you receive a mysterious parcel with no name on it. Write about who it might be from and what could be inside. Speculate with modals of possibility.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...