Modals coveredcan · could · may · might · must · have to · need to · should · ought to · had better · be able to · mustn't · needn't
ThemesEcology · everyday situations · advice
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Ecology · warm-up vocabulary
Drag-match · 12 words
Click one English term on the left, then its Russian meaning on the right. Correct pair locks green. Wrong pair shakes red — try again. After this — the dictation below uses these words.
English
Перевод
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Ecology dictation · 8 sentences
Listening · Spelling
Press ▶ to hear each sentence — type what you hear in the input. When done, press Reveal to compare. Press ▶ again if you need to listen twice.
How it's checked: the system compares words ignoring case and punctuation. If a word is slightly off (one letter), it's still highlighted — try again or open the model answer below the input.
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Mini-lecture · 10 modals in 2 minutes
🎬 Video · multi-voice
Each scene shows one modal in one real situation. Two narrators alternate — UK female and UK male. Watch once. Then watch again — this time say each sentence out loud after the narrator.
10 scenes · ~2:10Script · Maria Burtseva · 2026
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Modals 1 · what you can do · what's allowed · what's a good idea
Can · Could · May · Should · Had better
What you CAN do · ability
Form
Example
can (present)
I can ride a bike with no hands. Don't try it at home.
could (past)
My grandmother could recite long poems by heart.
be able to (any tense)
After ten months of yoga, she was able to touch her toes.
The tricky one: for one specific success in the past, use was/were able to, NOT could. "She tried and tried, and finally she was able to fix the bike" — never could here.
What's ALLOWED · permission
Form
Example
can (informal · friends)
Can I borrow your charger? Mine just died.
could (polite · adults)
Could I have a quick word after the lesson?
may (formal · school, work)
May I be excused, please? I don't feel well.
Reading the room: the colder the relationship, the further down the list you go. can = mate. could = anyone you respect. may = exam, head teacher, hotel reception.
What's a GOOD IDEA · advice
Form
Example
should
If you're cold, you should put on a jumper.
ought to (a touch stronger)
We ought to tell her — she'll find out anyway.
had better ('d better · urgent)
You 'd better text her now, or she'll be worried sick.
Watch out:had better sounds like normal advice but it actually carries a warning. "You'd better study" = "or else something bad will happen". Don't use it lightly with friends, they'll feel pressured.
3.1 Quick drill · choose the right modal
1.At seven, I ______ already cook scrambled eggs by myself.
2.______ I see Mr Brown for a moment? (reception)
3.If your phone is hot, you ______ close some apps.
4.My cousin ______ juggle five oranges. It's annoying how good he is.
5.We ______ tell mum about the broken vase before she finds it.
6.______ you turn the music down a tiny bit? (polite roommate)
7.After the surgery she will ______ walk normally again.
8.You ______ leave now — the last bus is in five minutes! (urgent warning)
3+
OGE Speaking · Task 1 · Read aloud
2 балла · 1,5 мин подг + 2 мин ответ
A short popular-science text — packed with modals from Section 3. Listen to the British male sample first, then press Your turn. Mic-friendly browsers: Chrome / Edge.
OGE · Task 1
Trees are amazing. They give us oxygen, they protect the soil from rain, and they offer shade in the summer. We can plant more trees in our cities, but we must also protect the forests we already have. Every person should think about the planet. If we do not act now, our grandchildren might not see the magnificent forests we know today. Small actions like riding a bicycle to school have real power. We have all been hearing about climate change for years. Now it is time to act.
Idle—
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Modals 2 · rules · guesses · what might happen
Must · Have to · Mustn't · Should · Could · May · Might
RULES · obligation
Form
Example
must (strong, inner)
I must finish this essay before Friday — no excuses.
have to (outside rule)
My little sister has to take her medicine three times a day.
need to (neutral)
You need to sign here, please.
mustn't (forbidden)
Shh — you mustn't tell anyone, it's a surprise!
had to (past)
Last summer I had to babysit every weekend.
The key difference:must = it comes from inside you. have to = it comes from outside (school, parents, the law). "I must drink more water" (my own decision). "I have to wear a uniform" (school rule).
NO RULES · no obligation
Form
Example
don't have to
It's a free day — you don't have to wear a uniform.
needn't · don't need to
You needn't worry, I'll handle everything.
The big trap:mustn't ≠ don't have to. "You mustn't open that door" = it's forbidden. "You don't have to open that door" = it's your choice. Mixing these up changes the whole meaning.
GUESSES · probability (now & future)
Form
Example
should · ought to (likely)
The package was sent on Monday — it should arrive any minute.
must (sure · evidence)
Her bag is here — she must still be in the building somewhere.
can't · couldn't (impossible)
He's in Spain — that can't be him at the supermarket.
MAYBE · possibility
Form
Example
could · may · might
I don't know what's in the box — it could / may / might be a present from gran.
4.1 Quick drill · choose the right modal
1.Careful — you ______ press that button, the alarm will go off.
2.I'm not sure where Anna is. She ______ be at her grandmother's.
3.It's the weekend — we ______ get up at six.
4.That ______ be Tom on the phone — Tom is sleeping next to me.
5.The lights are on inside — they ______ already be home.
6.You ______ bring a towel — the hotel provides them.
7.When I lived in the village, I ______ walk three kilometres to school every day.
8.Yesterday the lift broke and we ______ climb seven floors.
4+
OGE Speaking · Task 2 · Electronic interview
6 баллов · 6 audio Q · 40 сек на каждый · БЕЗ подготовки
Phoebe (UK female · electronic assistant) is calling. 6 questions about school life and home rules — heavy on must / have to / mustn't / should / could. Use modals from Section 4 in your answers. All transcripts kept for screenshot.
OGE · Task 2 · Electronic assistant
Idle—
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All 6 answers · screenshot & send to teacher
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Mixed drill · 12 sentences across both units
MCQ · all modals together
Now everything mixed up. Watch the context — who is saying it, in what situation. That's how you choose the right modal.
1.The sky's getting dark — it ______ snow tonight.
2.Your hands are freezing. You ______ wear gloves.
3.I'd love to come but I ______ look after my brother tonight.
4.______ I have a glass of water, please? (hotel reception)
5.You ______ use a flash in this museum. (strict rule)
6.His car is in the driveway — he ______ be at home. (deduction)
7.By the age of four, my brother ______ already ride a bike.
8.That ______ be Anna's voice — she's on holiday in Italy.
9.We ______ book the tickets now — they're selling fast.
10.______ you take a photo of us, please?
11.It's an open dress code — you ______ wear a tie.
12.Even now, my dad ______ do twenty push-ups in a row.
5+
OGE Speaking · Task 3 · Monologue
7 баллов · 1,5 мин подг + 2 мин ответ
Topic card with 3 bullets. Press Start prep — 1.5 min to plan, then 2 min to speak with the mic. Weave in modals from all today — must, have to, should, could, might, would.
OGE · Task 3
Topic card
"Tell your friend about how your family helps the environment."
What your family has to / must do at home (rules and routines)
What you personally should or could do more often
What advice you would give your friend (use should / 'd better)
Idle—
6
Transformation · rewrite using a modal
Production drill
Same idea, modal-version. Type the missing modal. Tap Check to see if it locked. There can be more than one acceptable answer — most natural is what we want.
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Writing · a paragraph using five different modals
Production · 80-100 words
Pick a real day of yours — a school day, a Saturday, a holiday morning. Tell us what you must do, what you don't have to do, what you can do, what you should do, and what might happen.
Prompt
Describe a typical day in your life. Use at least 5 different modals. Write 80-100 words.
Useful frames:
On a school day, I must… / I have to… / I don't have to… / I can… / I should… / I might… / I can't… / I 'd better…
Structure: morning · school/study · afternoon · evening · what might happen later
0 words · 0 modals detected (looking for: must, have to, mustn't, don't have to, can, could, may, might, should, ought to, had better, needn't)
Modals · a quiet superpower
In English, modals are how you say HOW you feel about a fact.
"She is at the gym" is a statement. "She might be at the gym" is a guess. "She must be at the gym" is a confident bet. "She can't be at the gym" is the rejection of a wrong idea. Same fact — three different worlds.
Once you hear that, you stop translating from Russian. You start thinking in modals.
Destination B1 · Units 19-20 · NG English Lab · 2026
What you CAN do · ability
What's ALLOWED · permission
What's a GOOD IDEA · advice
RULES · obligation
NO RULES · no obligation
GUESSES · probability (now & future)
MAYBE · possibility