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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Do You Have Any Advice?

Do You Have Any Advice?

This presentation introduces how to give advice using the modal forms could - should - and must as well as to suggest and to recommend. I had ss work in pairs or small groups to come up with idea ...
9 Views 15,981 Pre-IntInt
Can Worksheet

Can Worksheet

This is a little worksheet to practice the use of «can» .I used it as a test of the meaning of verbs. Children must match the verbs with pictures, and then they make a question to ea ...
6 Views 9,444 Beg
Animal Body Parts

Animal Body Parts

Aim: to strengthen the students’ vocabulary knowledge linked with animal body parts and help them to make sentences by using ‘can/ can’t’. It is assumed that students have ...
7 Views 21,994 Elem
Can You? Interview Homework

Can You? Interview Homework

An interview sheet made for elementary school students to practice asking "Can you...?" at home. Students write two questions to ask a family member or friend outside of class. They then write a ...
2 Views 12,371 BegElem
Making Requests and Asking for Permission

Making Requests and Asking for Permission

This worksheet is an easy way to practice how to ask for permission as well as to make a request. Some of the expressions you will practice are: Do you mind if...? Could you...? Can you...? I ...
7 Views 42,013 Pre-IntInt
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I Can- I Can't

I Can- I Can't

This is a simple worksheet for beginning writers to practice writing 'I can...' and 'I can't....'. There are models of how to write both and two lines with traceable words plus space for the stud ...
4 Views 12,906 BegElem
Modal Verbs and Phrases

Modal Verbs and Phrases

The following activity will help your students practice modal verbs and phrases. It should be completed in pairs. Students A and B have gaps in different sentences. As Student A completes his sent ...
12 Views 20,885 IntAdv
Can (Present Simple)

Can (Present Simple)

This presentation is for beginners and elementary level. It demonstrates different types of sentences with "can": positive sentences, negative ones and questions. Also the presentation shows that ...
4 Views 7,808 BegElem
Musicians and Instruments

Musicians and Instruments

Students learn vocabulary connected to music. Students have to write the names of musicians under the pictures. They have also write sentences using verb 'can' and musical instruments, e.g. He can ...
2 Views 14,822 Elem
Can/ to Be/ Have got

Can/ to Be/ Have got

This is a little worksheet to practice the use of "have got","can", “to be". Children make sentences to each picture using the verbs, which are written in the pictures. Ask them to make as m ...
5 Views 9,591 BegElem
Should - Shouldn't Drilling

Should - Shouldn't Drilling

This worksheet is aimed at students who already know a little bit about structure and functions of modal verb should affirmative and negative. It is composed of 4 activities. The first 2 are filli ...
10 Views 23,776 Pre-IntInt
Modal Verbs PowerPoint

Modal Verbs PowerPoint

This is a PowerPoint presentation about the modal verbs. Includes usage rules with example sentences. Jokes from the website http://englishthroughjokes.wordpress.com/ and a creative writing promp ...
20 Views 107,807 Pre-IntIntAdv
Persuasion and Dissuasion

Persuasion and Dissuasion

This activity is suitable to intermediate and advanced students in practicing how to persuade and/ or dissuade the other person. It is better done as a role playing activity. This will motivate ...
18 Views 29,940 IntAdvExam
Song Worksheet: Using Modal Verbs

Song Worksheet: Using Modal Verbs

This is an intermediate worksheet aimed at giving students a revision of modal verbs by means of a short listening activity. The worksheet includes the lyrics of two contemporary songs. Students a ...
9 Views 83,387 Pre-Int
Can You...? Interview Worksheet

Can You...? Interview Worksheet

Made for grade 6 students in a Japanese elementary school, this worksheet includes a sample of how to write the target question (Can you...?) and also examples of writing the sentences "S/he can/c ...
1 Views 12,384 BegElem
JC'S Past Necessity Critical Path

JC'S Past Necessity Critical Path

When teaching past necessity, I have found this critical path very helpful. It helps students differenciate between necessary and unnecessary actions in the past and how to express whether they we ...
3 Views 9,198 Adv
JC'S Needn't Have Critical Path

JC'S Needn't Have Critical Path

When teaching past necessity, I have found this critical path very helpful. It helps students differenciate between necessary and unnecessary actions in the past and how to express whether they we ...
3 Views 8,062 AdvExam
Seen through the Microscope

Seen through the Microscope

I use this PPT to practise speaking with all kind of students, although it is better to use it with skilled students. Whenever I do this activity in class the students have great fun when they see ...
9 Views 10,409 Pre-IntIntAdvExam
Song Worksheet: The Day before You Came (Modal Verbs of Probability)

Song Worksheet: The Day before You Came (Modal Verbs of Probability)

This is a PowerPoint Presentation "Modal Verbs of Probability through the song -The day before you came". Recommended for adult students of the upper-intermediate level. I planned it as a whole le ...
9 Views 33,949 Adv
Should and Shouldn't

Should and Shouldn't

It's a nice speaking exercise to practise "should / shouldn't". Cut the cards, put them face down and make students work in pairs. Each student draws one card, reads it aloud and another student m ...
16 Views 115,137 ElemPre-Int
Modals - Speculating about the Past

Modals - Speculating about the Past

Three exercises to practice modal verbs to speculate about the past. 1st exercise: could/can't. 2nd exercise must/can't and 3rd might/might not. To be honest I do not exactly remember bu ...
14 Views 59,594 Pre-IntInt
Needn't Have Worksheet

Needn't Have Worksheet

This is a worksheet for FCE students to practise needn't have or didn't need to. It has 13 situations with images and a sentence where students have to choose the correct form of the verb: needn't ...
6 Views 17,211 Adv
Semester Test for the 4th Grade

Semester Test for the 4th Grade

The test is for the 4th graders. It contains basic questions using structures such as can/have/do and wh-questions. The grammar areas are: possesive 's, adjectives describing people, present ...
4 Views 14,447 Elem
Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning

This worksheet was created to Unit 10 of the New Total English Elementary 2 course book and aims to practice school subjects, expressions in connection with learning and modal verbs (have to, don' ...
2 Views 15,262 ElemPre-Int
Reading Dreams

Reading Dreams

This worksheet deals with the topic of dreams. It does not focus on any grammatical aspect in particular. It consists of a fill-in the blanks listening about analyzing dreams that I adapted from h ...
13 Views 29,623 IntAdvExam

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