modals in the past

11 - Modals in the past Can’t have done, couldn’t have done, must have done, might have done, may have done, had better have done, should have done, ought to have done Teacher’s instructions: 1 Tell your student that some people say that Shakespeare’s plays were written by someone else. Who do these people think wrote them? Are they sure? You may be able to elicit a useful sentence from your student that you can adapt. Probably not: In that case give him the following examples and ask him to repeat them with any variants that occur to you: They say Shakespeare didn’t have enough education: He couldn’t have done it He couldn’t have had the knowledge. No-one with so little education could have written the plays. Therefore: Someone else must have written them. Bacon is a favourite candidate. They say he may have written the plays. NB. Marlow, Stanley and de Vere have also been suggested Or, of course: Someone else may/might have written them. 2 Use this situation to get the following examples: The boss told John to finish the tender offer by today. He has had plenty of time, so: He should/ought to have finished it by now. The boss will fire him if he hasn’t, so: He’d better/ have done it!  Use the following exercise to get your student to choose which forms are most appropriate. Often two answers, perhaps more, are possible. Get your student to say them all. The London plane took off two hours ago. The flight only takes an hour so:It ____________ (arrive) by now. When the murder was committed, Peter was 200 miles away:He ____________ (not do) it Who heard John speaking on the phone? Mary was sitting at the next desk: She ____________ (hear) the conversation. Peter was in the room too when John was speaking, but further away:He ____________ heard the conversation too. Henry was injured when he crashed his car. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt:He ____________ (wear, attach, fasten,) it. My car broke down yesterday. It’s at the garage. They said it wouldn’t take long:It ____________ (to be repaired) already. You turned right at the last crossroads. That was wrong:You ____________ (turn) left instead. I didn’t hear Obama’s speech but I heard everybody cheering afterwards:It ____________ (be) a good one! Oh look! The cat has a feather in its mouth:It ____________ (eat) a bird. Tom’s mother told him to do his homework:He ____________ (do) it or she won’t let him come to the cinema.