Fandorin  +  576305 Tue, 14 Oct 08 05:14 PM Hi there. There is a quiz from book "Grammar and vocabulary for First Certificate", preparing for the ESOL First Certificate in English (FCE) (Cambridge University) . It's extracted from one module, devoted to Modals. It implies upper-intermediate level. I hope it would be useful. 1.When we were at school we Selectought tohad to wear a uniform. 2. You Selectmustn'tdon't have to fasten during the whole of the flight. 3. You Selectshould've got to tell her you're sorry. 4. You Selectmustneed to be a member of the library before you can borrow books. 5. I Selectshouldn'tdon't need to wear glasses because my eyesight is still quite good. 6. We Selectweren't allowed towouldn't talk to our partners because it was examination. 7. We Selectcouldn't haveneedn't have ordered so much food as nobody was hungry. 8. She Selectneedn't havedidn't need to take any money because her friend was going to pay. 9. When I first came to Madrid I Selectcouldn'tcould speak only a few words in Spanish. 10. SelectDid you have toMust you have your hair cut before the interview last week? Fandorin Joined on Thu, Dec 20 2007 Moscow Contributing Member 1,382 Whatever happens, be yourself. Grammar, Vocabulary, Universities, Interviews, Tests, FCE, Modals

	Planet Hopper  +  576333 Tue, 14 Oct 08 06:01 PM I don't agree with the answer on number 3 You've got to in this sentence means the obligation is strong. It is more common sense to think of it as a piece of advice, we don't have context clues to infer strong obligation. Planet Hopper Joined on Tue, Oct 14 2008 Junior Member 67 Modals

	Fandorin  +  576354 Tue, 14 Oct 08 07:12 PM Planet Hopper “I don't agree with the answer on number 3 You've got to in this sentence means the obligation is strong. It is more common sense to think of it as a piece of advice, we don't have context clues to infer strong obligation. ” So, I think there is no enough circumstances. Have got to may mean necessity too. Let's wait for natives to explain. Fandorin Modals

	Planet Hopper  +  576360 Tue, 14 Oct 08 07:25 PM I don't think you understood what I meant. Maybe you could read a reply before looking down on anyone here, these places are for debating. More than half of the English speakers in the world are not native, prejudice should stay at home. By the way, I'm Canadian :), but, right, I wasn't born one. The point is: I defend should as the right choice in number 3 I am not asking anyone's place of birth before reading the answer.. Planet Hopper Modals

	Fandorin  +  576367 Tue, 14 Oct 08 07:36 PM I wasn't going to offence you. I wanted to see other opinions. Indeed, it was the only book which said me that. I agree with you, "should" may be suitable here. It's kind of interesting to know other opinions. Planet Hopper “I am not asking anyone's place of birth before reading the answer..” I didn't ask your birth's place. Anyway, I don't know what makes you irritate about. Fandorin Modals

	Planet Hopper  +  576372 Tue, 14 Oct 08 07:43 PM No irritation here. This FCE stuff is like that, we are all professional here. The point is: If you have an alternative pair of modals to distribute and one of them is a term communicatvely marked for something (have to for strong obligation), then, to the absence of a contextual hint, the unmarked term (should, milder obligation) is usually taken as right. This is the problem with FCE multiple choice, rather often there is not a lot of context in the sentences they supply. Planet Hopper Modals

	Grammar Geek  +  576414 Tue, 14 Oct 08 10:48 PM #3 could be either one. #4: You'll often hear "You need to" For #7, imagine getting a bill in a restaurant for four times the amount it should be. "This isn't our check. We didn't order this. We couldn't have ordered this because none of us was hungry. We had only a round of drinks and a small appetizer to share!" (I agree that "needn't have" is probably more likely but in the US, we'd say "We didn't have to" not "We needn't have.)     Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,650 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Modals

	Fandorin  +  576619 Wed, 15 Oct 08 02:18 PM Grammar Geek “ #3 could be either one. #4: You'll often hear "You need to" Is it more politely? For #7, imagine getting a bill in a restaurant for four times the amount it should be. "This isn't our check. We didn't order this. We couldn't have ordered this because none of us was hungry. We had only a round of drinks and a small appetizer to share!" (I agree that "needn't have" is probably more likely but in the US, we'd say "We didn't have to" not "We needn't have.) So, "could have ordered" here acts like part of the Third Conditional and therefore it' was impossible for our bill to be that way. Is it right? But, "needn't have ordered" expresses that there wasn't a necessity to order something. Yes? ” Fandorin

	Grammar Geek  +  576621 Wed, 15 Oct 08 02:23 PM I don't think "need to" is more polite than "must." You must purchase your transit pass before your board the train. You must purchase your transit pass before you board the train. You must show the librarian your library card to use the computers. You need to show the librarian... Same thing, to my mind. I'm not good with conditionals (first, second, third, I don't know) but you're correct that "You needn't have" = it was not necessary for you to have done that = you didn't have to do that (American)   Grammar Geek Modals, Conditionals