Modal Verbs - Free MCQ Practice Test with solutions, CAT Verbal Ability

The entire valley can be seen from their mountain home.

This phrase indicates the possibility or ability to see the entire valley from their mountain home. The use of "can" suggests that it is feasible or within the realm of possibility for someone at their mountain home to have a view of the entire valley. 

He is wearing a gold ring on his fourth finger. He is married.

According to our teacher, all of our compositions must be in ink. He won't accept papers written in pencil.

I found this book on my desk when I came to class. It must have been left by one of the students in the earlier class.

In this context, finding a book on your desk that wasn't there before suggests that it was left there by someone else, presumably during a time you were not present, such as an earlier class. "Must" is a modal verb that indicates a high degree of certainty about a past action, especially when direct evidence or firsthand knowledge is lacking but the circumstances strongly point to a specific conclusion.

Five of the committee members will be unable to attend the next meeting. In my opinion, the meeting should be postponed.

I used "should" to suggest a recommendation or advice based on the given situation, where five of the committee members will be unable to attend the next meeting. In contexts like these, "should" indicates that, in my opinion, the most appropriate or beneficial course of action would be to postpone the meeting.

Your daughter has a good voice. Her interest in singing should be encouraged (encourage).

Try to speak slowly when you give your speech, If you don't, some of your words might be misunderstood.

When you're advised to speak slowly during a speech, it's because rapid speech can make it difficult for your audience to process each word and the overall message. If you speak too quickly, there's a risk that some words might blend together or be skipped over entirely in the minds of your listeners.

Some UFO sightings cannot be explained easily. No one is able to explain them easily.

In the sentence "Some UFO sightings cannot be explained easily," the modal verb "cannot" is used to express impossibility or extreme difficulty in achieving something—in this case, the act of explaining certain UFO sightings. The nature of these sightings is often mysterious, lacking clear evidence, definitive characteristics, or reliable eyewitness accounts, which makes forming a logical, scientific explanation challenging.

What? You tripped over a chair at the party and dropped your plate of food into a woman's lap? You must be embarrased!

This construction implies a strong likelihood or assumption. In this context, it suggests that it's highly probable or expected for the person to feel embarrassed given the situation described. It's a natural response to such an embarrassing event.

Jessica should revise her notes before the exam.

We chose "should" over "must" to suggest a strong recommendation rather than an obligation. "Should" is used here to advise that it would be very beneficial for Jessica to review her notes to prepare for the exam, implying that doing so would likely improve her understanding of the material and her performance on the exam. While "must" implies a necessity or requirement, "should" conveys that the action is highly advisable for her own benefit, giving a sense of personal choice in the matter.