601 FREE Modal Verbs Worksheets & Exercises
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FREE Modal Verbs Worksheets

Can you teach modal verbs? Will you be able to? Should you look for even better ways to teach them? The answers to all these modal questions are “Yes!” - and that’s why BusyTeacher.org offers 601 modal verb worksheets to bring some fresh, fun ideas to your ESL classroom.

Teaching modal verbs takes some strategy. A lot of other languages don’t have exact one-word equivalents for verbs like “should” and “would,” which means direct word-for-word translation probably isn’t an option. The next-best approach is to give examples - but it’s not always easy for students to guess the difference between, say, “can” and “could” from context alone. Some teachers start with the simplest modal verbs - “can” and “should” - and build up the list from there, using a variety of reading and speaking exercises.

However you plan to combine these approaches, BusyTeacher.org offers a wide variety of worksheets to help make sure your students can read, write, hear, and speak correctly when it comes to modal verbs. The sheer diversity of our worksheets means you’ll never find yourself repeating the same modal verb lesson twice - and the range of activities and exercises they provide will keep your students thinking about modal verbs in every kind of usage and context.

Whether you’re introducing some level-one students to modal verbs for the very first time, helping some level-two students review the modal verbs they’ve already learned, or introducing higher-level students to modal verbs in some new tenses, we’ve got worksheets tailored for your students’ ESL proficiency. With 601 modal verb worksheets to choose from, you’re sure to find some that are just right for your class.

Looking for simple fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice worksheets to use for quizzes? We’ve got ‘em right here! Interested in active games that help students learn to use modal verbs in realistic conversations? Just take a look below! BusyTeacher.org even has modal verb worksheets designed around popular song lyrics, so your students can show off their newfound understanding of those songs to their friends.

All these worksheets have been created and shared by ESL teachers around the world - teachers just like you, who want to help each other improve the learning potential of their classrooms. They’ve been generous enough to make every worksheet on this site completely free to download, share, modify, and use as you like - you don’t even have to register on our site. All we ask is that, if you have a worksheet of your own that you’d like to share, you click the “Submit a worksheet” button at the bottom of this page to contribute it to our ever-growing community.

BusyTeacher.org’s convenient thumbnail view makes it easy to browse our 601 modal verb worksheets at a glance, without having to click and download each one just to see what it looks like. You can even save time by checking out the top ten most popular modal verb worksheets on BusyTeacher.org, or use the search function at the top of the page to pinpoint exactly the worksheets you’re looking for. We’re sure that, one way or another, you’ll find the worksheet you need. And we’re sure your class will love it!

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Talking about Abilities in English

Talking about Abilities in English

The worksheet is about modal verb CAN which we use to express abilities. Here is the activity you can use for beginners who are encountering with modals for the first time. Students look at the pi ...
6 Views 23,372 Beg
School Rules: Must & Mustn't

School Rules: Must & Mustn't

This worksheet provides cliparts so that students can practise modal verbs of obligation (must- musn't - can't) in the classroom. They can stick it on a cardboard and write the rules. Then they ca ...
35 Views 88,220 BegElem
He Can Play Football But He Can't Swim

He Can Play Football But He Can't Swim

This is a 2-page worksheet on can / can't to express ability and inability. There are simple explanations at the top of the page followed by five different and easy activities to go with it. Reco ...
18 Views 40,984 ElemPre-Int
A Funny Way to Teach about Animals: The Iguana and Toucan Song

A Funny Way to Teach about Animals: The Iguana and Toucan Song

A very funny way to teach your pupils/students about wild animals. You can also practise some structures such as It has got, It likes, It can, It lives. Here are the videos:
6 Views 8,395 Elem
Expressing Ability Worksheet

Expressing Ability Worksheet

This is a worksheet for teaching modal verbs: can and be able to. There is a brief explanation at the top of the page followed by a simple activity in which students are asked to fill in the gaps ...
21 Views 45,192 Pre-IntInt
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Abilities Worksheet: Let's Talk About Animals

Abilities Worksheet: Let's Talk About Animals

Grammar - controlled practice Students will be practicing the modal verb can (abilities) associated with the vocabulary of animals to talk about the things animals can or can't do. Afterwards they ...
15 Views 56,103 Elem
Song Worksheet: That's All by Nat King Cole [Cloze Listening Activity]

Song Worksheet: That's All by Nat King Cole [Cloze Listening Activity]

Students read and listen along with "That's All" by Nat King Cole, and fill in the missing lyrics. After listening through the song verse by verse, and then in its entirety, work together as a cl ...
3 Views 11,850 Pre-IntIntAdv
Abilities & Requests [CAN]

Abilities & Requests [CAN]

The use of the modal CAN for abilities and requests. Some examples in questions and answers and a lot of interrogative sentences for the students to practice and they can answer the questions. Thi ...
12 Views 21,425 ElemPre-Int
Can and Can't for Kids

Can and Can't for Kids

Learners can practice how to express abilities with can and can't. The first exercise includes animals. The learners' task is to write sentrences about them. In the second and the third exercise t ...
8 Views 25,223 Elem
I Can

I Can

The modal verb CAN for Young ESL learners. This worksheet contains a: - listening and repeating activity; - writing exercise (speech bubble). - set of keywords for a speaking activity with I CAN ...
6 Views 9,123 Elem
Modals and Traffic Signs

Modals and Traffic Signs

Traffic signs and their description is given. Students have to fill in the gaps in the descriptions with an appropriate modal verb and match it to the traffic sign it describes. They learn modals ...
18 Views 46,155 IntAdv
Limits

Limits

It's about the use of CAN/BE ABLE TO, including reading, writing and oral skills. Teachers can use it for presenting this grammar tip adn explore Sts speaking using their own experience. There is ...
9 Views 14,466 ElemPre-IntInt
MIGHT/MIGHT NOT worksheet

MIGHT/MIGHT NOT worksheet

The worksheet focuses on "might/ might not" & contains information about when to use/rules of formation + example sentences + exercises: Look at the pictures (affirmative and negative) and wri ...
29 Views 68,312 Pre-Int
Garfield Friends the Great Gateway

Garfield Friends the Great Gateway

In this worksheet you can work with all the skills and besides you will reinforce students' knowledge about MUST and HAVE TO. On the one hand you will work on students' comprehension while watchin ...
7 Views 8,977 Pre-IntInt
Video Games: A Boon or Bane?

Video Games: A Boon or Bane?

An interesting reading passage dealing with the possible risks posed by video games on children's health and life in general. The worksheets also include reading questions ranging from comprehensi ...
20 Views 25,898 Adv
Modal Verbs Flashcards

Modal Verbs Flashcards

These are simple word flashcards, with a symbol in each one, to represent ability, advice and order. I printed the affirmative ones in green paper and the negative in red paper. On the board, I dr ...
15 Views 29,033 BegElem
Auxiliary Verb Can

Auxiliary Verb Can

Exercises to make sentences and answer questions using the auxiliary verb can.  Students will be able to understand and make sentences using common action verbs and talk about their own abili ...
9 Views 17,965 Elem
Achieve Your Dream

Achieve Your Dream

An inspiring worksheet for pre- intermediate to intermediate learners using an advertisement for a reading comprehension test which may serve as a summative evaluation. This paper encoloses compre ...
12 Views 15,681 Pre-IntInt
Giving Advice - Should

Giving Advice - Should

A short exercise giving students an opportunity to practice forming sentences with the modal verb should. Created for 3-4 grades. Students should respond to the situations shown in the pictures us ...
13 Views 24,637 Elem
Might Worksheet

Might Worksheet

Worksheet to practise modal verb "might". It is divided into three types of exercises in which students will practise the use and will learn vocabulary. In the first ones students have to complete ...
12 Views 46,900 Pre-Int
Question Game

Question Game

This worksheet is a list of 47 questions and tasks that can be used as an ice-breaker, a class activity or 1on1 activity. Print out the entire list or cut out individual questions. Students roll ...
18 Views 27,191 Pre-IntIntAdv
Modals With Functions And Meaning [Table]

Modals With Functions And Meaning [Table]

» Modal Verbs
This is a table which summarizes the functions of modal auxiliaries and their meanings. Students can complete it with translations in their own language. This table can be used along with rephrasi ...
20 Views 41,498 Pre-IntIntAdv
Cars Or People?

Cars Or People?

Situational discussion on the role of cars in our society. Besides the discussion, it can also be used to work with conditionals and modal-should, present and past. Can be used with intermediat ...
18 Views 17,664 IntAdv
What Can They Do?

What Can They Do?

Pupils look at the pictures and write what people can or can't do. This way you practice action verbs combined with the modal verb can.Appropriate for junior A pupils. They have fun by looking at ...
5 Views 7,295 Elem
Must and Mustn't Worksheet

Must and Mustn't Worksheet

This is a short quiz, maybe for the beginning of your class. With this worksheet you can practice vocabulary (road signs and school rules), also grammar (must and mustn't) and writing sentences. S ...
15 Views 50,271 Elem

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