Complete the exercises below to practice Modals Past Possibility
Complete the sentences using the correct modal perfect form with the verbs in brackets.
1. I can't find my keys anywhere. I (might / leave) them at the office, or I (could / drop) them in the parking lot.
2. She looks very tired today. She (might / stay) up late studying for her exam.
3. The meeting was cancelled unexpectedly. The manager (could / be) sick, or there (might / be) an emergency at home.
4. Tom didn't answer his phone all day. He (could / forget) to charge it, or he (might / lose) it somewhere.
5. The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived. We (might / come) too early, or they (could / close) for a private event.
6. Sarah got an excellent grade on her test. She (must / study) very hard, and the teacher (might / give) extra credit for her presentation.
7. The flowers in the garden are all dead. It (might / be) too hot last week, or someone (could / forget) to water them.
8. He arrived at the party wearing formal clothes. He (might not / know) it was casual, or he (could / come) directly from work.
9. The train was delayed for two hours. There (could / be) technical problems with the engine.
10. My sister didn't call me on my birthday. She (might / forget) the date, or she (could / be) too busy with work.
Choose the correct modal perfect form for each sentence.
1. Maria didn't come to the meeting. She ___ about the time change.
2. The lights are on in their house. They ___ home from their vacation.
3. I heard a strange noise last night. It ___ a cat in the garden.
4. The test was very difficult. The students ___ it impossible to finish.
5. Sarah looks confused. She ___ the directions properly.
6. The window is broken. Someone ___ a ball through it.
7. The baby is crying. She ___ hungry or tired.
8. The cake tastes awful. I ___ too much salt instead of sugar.
9. The computer crashed suddenly. There ___ a power surge.
10. He didn't receive my message. His phone ___ turned off.
Complete the paragraphs using the correct modal perfect forms with the verbs in brackets.
Yesterday, my friend Emma didn't show up for our lunch appointment, which was very unusual for her. She (might / forget) about our plans, although she had confirmed them the day before. Alternatively, she (could / have) an emergency at work or at home. I tried calling her several times, but her phone went straight to voicemail. Her battery (might / die), or she (could / leave) it at home. When I drove by her house, I noticed her car wasn't in the driveway. She (might / go) to visit her sick grandmother, as she had mentioned her grandmother wasn't feeling well recently. Later that evening, she finally called to apologize. It turned out she (had been) at the hospital all day with her grandmother, and her phone (had died) early in the morning.
Last week, there was a mysterious incident at our office building. When the security guard arrived on Monday morning, he discovered that one of the windows on the third floor was broken. Someone (could / throw) a rock from the street below, but the window was quite high up. Alternatively, it (might / be) damaged by strong winds over the weekend, although the weather hadn't been particularly bad. The cleaning crew (might / accidentally break) it while working on Friday evening. Upon further investigation, the security cameras revealed nothing unusual. The footage (could / be) erased by someone, or the cameras (might not / be) functioning properly that weekend. The building manager (could / be) more concerned about security, but he seemed to think it was just an accident. We (might / never know) what really happened that weekend.
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