Deduction & Speculation Exercises PDFSet 3: Speculation About the Present: Must Be, Can't Be & Might Be + -ing Exercises
20 questions·12 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.The office light is on and I can hear typing. Someone ___ in there.
a) can't be workingb) must be workingc) should be workingd) might be sleeping
2.It's midnight and her bedroom light is off. She ___ .
a) can't be sleepingb) might be workingc) should be readingd) must be sleeping
3.I can smell something delicious from the kitchen. Mum ___ dinner.
a) must be cookingb) can't be cookingc) should be cookingd) must be eating
4.I can hear laughter and music from next door. The neighbours ___ a party.
a) can't be havingb) might be leavingc) must be havingd) should be having
5.Ben just said the Earth is flat. He ___ — nobody really believes that!
a) can't be jokingb) must be jokingc) should be jokingd) might be lying
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.must be working
2.must be sleeping
3.must be cooking
4.must be having
5.must be joking
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."must be working"(b)
Use 'must be + -ing' to make a strong deduction about what is happening right now. The light and typing sounds are strong evidence that someone is working in the office.
2."must be sleeping"(d)
Use 'must be + -ing' when evidence strongly suggests what someone is doing now. It's midnight with the light off — sleeping is the most logical conclusion.
3."must be cooking"(a)
Use 'must be + -ing' when sensory evidence (the smell) strongly suggests what someone is doing. A delicious smell from the kitchen logically means someone is cooking.
4."must be having"(c)
Use 'must be + -ing' for a strong deduction about a current activity. Laughter and music are strong evidence of a party in progress.
5."must be joking"(b)
Use 'must be + -ing' when someone's statement is so absurd that we can strongly deduce they are joking. The evidence (a clearly false claim) leads to this conclusion.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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