English Learning

Modal Verbs and Spring

October 22, 2025

REVIEW. Pronunciation Practice

/aɪ/ /ʃ/ /ɜː/ /əʊ/
kindness fishing the first a coat
mine sugar the thirteenth a note
to be right to be sure the worst to open

GRAMMAR. MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs in English show attitude toward an action — ability, permission, obligation, or possibility.
They have no infinitive form, no -s in the third person singular, and are followed by the bare infinitive (without to).
Questions and negatives are formed without auxiliary verbs.

Can /kæn/

Expresses physical or mental ability.

Ted can speak English.
Can Ted speak English? Yes, Ted can. No, Ted cannot.

✅ Note: “Cannot” is written as one word. The short form is can’t /kɑːnt/.

Could /kʊd/

Expresses ability in the past.

Almita couldn’t come because she was busy.

Future Simple with can

Use be able to instead of can.

In a month Emily will be able to play tennis.
Will James be able to help me? Yes, he will. No, he won’t.

May /meɪ/

Expresses permission or possibility.

May Ron look at your book? Yes, Ron may. No, Ron may not.
Past form might /maɪt/ — expresses permission or polite possibility.
Might Emily go there? Yes, she might. No, she might not.

💡 "May" is often used to ask permission politely. "Might" is used for polite or uncertain possibilities.

Must /mʌst/

Expresses necessity or obligation.

Ellen must understand everything well.
Ted must not do this.

Past: had to → obligation in the past.
Future: will have to → obligation in the future.

I think you will have to help the Netways.

TEXT. SPRING

Spring comes after winter.
March, April, and May are spring months.
This season is wonderful. Snow melts.
All the flowers and trees break into blossom.

You can see green grass on the ground.
On most days the sky is blue and the sun shines brightly.
The weather is warm.

There are many violets, forget-me-nots, and snowdrops in the fields and meadows.
Birds return from the South and build nests in trees.
People work in gardens and fields.
They plant flowers, trees, and vegetables.

VOCABULARY

English Pronunciation Lithuanian
to melt /melt/ tirpti
to break into blossom /ˈblɒsəm/ pražysti
brightly /ˈbraɪtli/ skaisčiai
a field /fiːld/ laukas
a forget-me-not /fəˈɡet mi nɒt/ neužmirštuolė
a snowdrop /ˈsnəʊdrɒp/ snieguolė
a nest – lizdas
to plant /plɑːnt/ sodinti
a garden /ˈɡɑːdn/ sodas
a vegetable /ˈvedʒtəbl/ daržovė

Exercises

Exercise 1Fill in the Blanks with CAN or CAN'T

Complete the sentences with can or can’t.

  1. I ___ swim very well.
  2. Ted ___ play the piano.
  3. We ___ understand this grammar rule.
  4. You ___ open the window; it’s stuck.
  5. My dog ___ run fast.

Exercise 2Complete with COULD or COULDN’T

Write could or couldn’t.

  1. Yesterday I ___ visit my friend because I was busy.
  2. Ted ___ speak English when he was ten.
  3. We ___ go out; it was raining.
  4. She ___ answer all the questions.
  5. They ___ find their way home.

Exercise 3Be Able To (Future Ability)

Use will be able to or won’t be able to.

  1. I think Emily ___ play tennis well next month.
  2. You ___ understand this text soon.
  3. We ___ finish the work in time.
  4. James ___ help me tomorrow.
  5. They ___ join us next week.

Exercise 4MAY or MAY NOT

Choose the correct option.

  1. ___ I go out now?
    a) May b) Must
  2. You ___ take this book if you like.
    a) may b) must
  3. He ___ not come today; he is tired.
    a) may b) can
  4. ___ I use your phone, please?
    a) May b) Could
  5. Ron ___ watch TV now; he finished homework.
    a) may b) must not

Exercise 5MUST or MUSTN’T

Write must or mustn’t.

  1. You ___ speak loudly in the library.
  2. Ted ___ finish his homework today.
  3. Children ___ play with matches.
  4. We ___ study for the test.
  5. You ___ smoke here.

Exercise 6HAD TO / WILL HAVE TO

Complete with had to or will have to.

  1. Yesterday I ___ clean my room.
  2. She ___ go to the dentist tomorrow.
  3. We ___ help our parents yesterday.
  4. You ___ study harder next week.
  5. They ___ finish the work yesterday.

Exercise 7Modal Verb Mix

Fill in with: can, could, may, must.

  1. You ___ not be late for school.
  2. ___ I borrow your pen, please?
  3. Ted ___ swim when he was five.
  4. We ___ visit them tomorrow.
  5. You ___ speak English well.

Exercise 8Spring Vocabulary Practice

Translate these words into English.

  1. laukas
  2. snieguolė
  3. sodinti
  4. daržovė
  5. neužmirštuolė

Exercise 9Questions with CAN and MAY

Answer these questions.

  1. Can you swim fast?
  2. May I use your dictionary?
  3. Can Ted help us today?
  4. May we go out now?
  5. Can Emily play tennis?

Exercise 10Reading Comprehension – SPRING

Answer the questions about the text “Spring”.

  1. What months are spring months?
  2. What happens to snow in spring?
  3. What do people do in gardens?
  4. What color is the grass?
  5. What do birds do when they come from the South?
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