Deduction & Speculation Exercises PDFSet 4: Past Deduction & Probability: Must Have, Can't Have & Could Have Exercises
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.The streets are wet this morning. It ___ during the night.
a) can't have rainedb) must have rainedc) should have rainedd) might not have rained
2.She passed the exam with the highest marks in the class. She ___ incredibly hard.
a) can't have studiedb) shouldn't have studiedc) might not have studiedd) must have studied
3.He knew exactly where everything was in the building. He ___ here before.
a) must have beenb) can't have beenc) shouldn't have beend) might not have been
4.The whole cake has disappeared! Somebody ___ it while we were out.
a) shouldn't have eatenb) can't have eatenc) must have eatend) might not have eaten
5.Their flight landed three hours ago. They ___ at the hotel by now.
a) can't have arrivedb) shouldn't have arrivedc) might not have arrivedd) must have arrived
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.must have rained
2.must have studied
3.must have been
4.must have eaten
5.must have arrived
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."must have rained"(b)
Use 'must have + past participle' when present evidence leads to a strong conclusion about the past. Wet streets are strong evidence that it rained during the night.
2."must have studied"(d)
Use 'must have + past participle' for a strong past deduction. The highest marks are strong evidence that she studied incredibly hard.
3."must have been"(a)
Use 'must have been' (must have + past participle of 'be') when evidence strongly suggests a past experience. Knowing exactly where everything is strongly suggests he visited before.
4."must have eaten"(c)
Use 'must have + past participle' when you see the result of a past action and draw a strong conclusion. The cake is gone — someone must have eaten it.
5."must have arrived"(d)
Use 'must have + past participle' when timing makes a conclusion almost certain. Three hours is more than enough time to get from the airport to a hotel.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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