Open the parentheses. Choose the required modal verb. Explain your choice.
1. The girl (can, could, may, might) have been waiting all this time as we could not warn her not to come.
2. - The air is stifling here. (Can, may, should) I go out?
- No, you (can’t, mustn’t, shouldn’t). I am very sorry but I (shall, may, will, can) keep you another twenty minutes.
3. Where (must, need, should, may) I go if I want to have my hair waved?
4. He (was, had, ought) to go to the country although it was raining cats and dogs.
5. You (shouldn’t, needn’t, may not, mustn’t) have worried on my account, I told you I could come home very late.
6. He is talking nonsense. I (won’t, shan’t, can’t, must n’t) listen to him.
7. She supposes she (would, must, should) retire from public life.
8. When he came in tired from the fields, he (shall, will, would, must) have a hot meal on the table his mother (used to, must, need) cook for him.
9. How did it happen? I am sure it (can, must, should) have been some adventure.
10. He (must, should, might) have known everything; he (must, could, ought to) have warned us about it.
11. For a full fifteen minutes I (couldn’t, dared not, shouldn’t) look at her, I was so ashamed and was thinking I (would, should, will, could) have rather kept silent.
12. You (mustn’t, shouldn’t, needn’t) have brought all this staff, we have plenty of it in the house.
13. I (should, need to, can, must) go now. I (am, have, ought to) meet my wife. She is waiting for me.
14. And every time I speak to her she (will, would, must) blush and lose her speech, and not look at me.
15. People are getting on the bus now. It (must, should, will) be leaving in a few minutes.
16. You (would, should, could) rather not waste so much time if you want to catch the train.
17. People (were used, used) to catch fish in this river, but now it has become polluted.