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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The topic of this worksheet is talents. Students learn vocabulary for typical leisure time activities. They learn how to use can and can't, the definite article "the" and the "zero" article. The w ...
The topic of this worksheet is talents. Students have to write what they can do and what they can't do. The worksheet also presents link words such as "and, too, but" and it also provides pl ...
The worksheet comprises the most common ways to express future, including future simple (with 'probably', 'definitely'), present continuous, be going to, would like to, would rather, may/ might. S ...
This is a worksheet for predicting the future with will, may and won't at elementary and intermediate level. Pupils have to fill in the gaps with will, may or won't. Then they can share it with th ...
This worksheet was originally used as part of an enrichment activity to supplement a unit on animals in the New Parade 2 (elementary school) ESL textbook. At this stage, the students had already a ...
This worksheet is a quiz about using English modal verbs.There are 26 items.For example, should/could/must/shall you pass me the salt, please? I also provide the answers for the quiz at the end of ...
This is a worksheet for revising modal verbs (advice and recommendation) recommended for pre-intermediate students who are asked to complete the sentences using the correct form of 'should' and th ...
Students are introduced to the class rules through the use of 'can't', 'mustn't, and 'aren't allowed to'. They have some pictures and must form sentences with each of the modal verbs above and th ...
This is a presentation of modal verbs in PDF that explores the most problematic areas related to them: avoidance, comprehension, using the full infinitive, questions and negations, different forms ...
This game will help learners feel the difference between future forms in terms of speculation. It is easy and fun, as the aim is to guess what kind of picture is “hidden” on a board. ...
Asking permission is an essential part of social English that students often come across both in the classroom and real life. I usually explain to my learners the difference between can/could/may ...
These slides are to be used together with the song worksheet "Girl on Fire", by Alicia Keys. They are based on the modal verb 'can'. At first, as a warm up, some activities people can do are shown ...
Useful PPT with a lot of images and a video to extend vocab in this topic.You can find picture descriptions, group activity with symptoms,illnesses, medicines.Ss have to give advice using 'should' ...
These slides are based on the modal CAN and the song "Girl on Fire", by Alicia Keys. At first, as a warm up, some activities people can do are shown, and then it asks students what they can/ ...
This worksheet deals with the modals must, mustn´t, and needn´t as they imply obligation, proihibition, and lack of necessity respectively. It begins with a brief explanation of these ...
For beginners. They need fun games too! This is a board game I did with elementary classes. It gets students to practice some functional classroom language (Can I...?, shapes, numbers, class objec ...
This is a 2-page worksheet for revising modal verbs at pre-intermediate level. There are 4 different activities in which students are asked to fill in the gaps with a suitable modal verb, rewrite ...
This is a worksheet in which my learners have to form a meaningful sentences to express abilities.Step one: they are going to look at the pictures in order to help themselves to understand the cla ...
This reading comprehension has been designed to test Ss' knowledge, understanding and use of must/ have to and their negatives. It may also be used to introduce travel documents vocabulary. ...
This song can be used to teach past modals. It can also lead to a discussion on love and how some people value what they had once they no longer have .The song is nice and easy to follow. It´ ...
This is a worksheet for revising modal verbs of advice at pre-intermediate level. There's a brief explanation followed by an activity in which students are asked to fill in the blank spaces with t ...
Roxette - It must have been love. There is a vocabulary activity followed by advisability and speculation about the past. Student fill in the blanks according to what they hear then discuss ...
Count and Spell English Numerals 1-10 With this PowerPoint presentation you can learn, teach or review cardinal numbers. Each slide in the presentation includes a number timeline. This presentat ...
A2 level and Intermediate Song activity. Practise listening skills and complete the worksheet by filling the gaps and ordering the sentences. There's also a brief sentence comprehension matching e ...
This animated Power Point presentation may prove a good grammar and vocabulary drilling for starters. It focuses on the Present Simple forms of the verbs ‘to be’, ‘can’ and ...
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