Question 1

In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):

You (A) must to attend (B) the meeting tomorrow, (C) as it is mandatory for all employees. (D) No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). After the modal verb 'must', the base form of the verb should be used without 'to'. The correct form is 'must attend', not 'must to attend'. Modal verbs (must, can, should, will, etc.) are always followed by the base form of the verb without the infinitive marker 'to'.

Question 2

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

The students (A) cannot be allowed / (B) to leave the examination hall / (C) unless they have / (D) complete their answers. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (D). After the modal 'have' (in the phrase 'have completed'), the past participle 'completed' should be used, not the base form 'complete'. The correct form is 'have completed'.

Question 3

In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):

The manager (A) said that employees (B) can submit their reports (C) by Friday, but they must to complete (D) all sections. No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (D). The phrase 'must to complete' is incorrect. After the modal verb 'must', the base form of the verb should be used without 'to'. The correct form is 'must complete'. This is a common error where learners incorrectly add 'to' after modal verbs.

Question 4

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error.

"The manager (A) said that employees (B) must to complete the project (C) by Friday, or they will face consequences (D). No error (E)"

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (C). After the modal verb 'must', the base form of the verb should be used without 'to'. The correct form is 'must complete', not 'must to complete'. Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) are always followed by the base form of the verb without the infinitive particle 'to'.

Question 5

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

You (A) must to attend / (B) the meeting tomorrow / (C) as it is / (D) very important. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). After the modal verb 'must', the base form of the verb should follow directly without 'to'. The correct form is 'must attend', not 'must to attend'.

Question 6

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

He (A) would rather / (B) to go to the cinema / (C) than stay at home / (D) on weekends. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). After 'would rather', the bare infinitive should be used, not the infinitive with 'to'. The correct form is 'would rather go', not 'would rather to go'.

Question 7

Choose the option that corrects the error in the sentence:

He (A) should have went (B) to the meeting yesterday, (C) but he was (D) too unwell.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). After the modal 'should have', the past participle form of the verb must be used, not the simple past form. The correct form is 'should have gone' (not 'should have went'). The verb 'go' forms its past participle as 'gone'. Parts A, C, and D are grammatically correct.

Question 8

In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):

The students (A) can to solve (B) this problem if they (C) work together as a team. (D) No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). The phrase 'can to solve' is incorrect. After the modal verb 'can', the base form of the verb should be used without 'to'. The correct form is 'can solve'. Modal verbs are never followed by the infinitive marker 'to'.

Question 9

In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):

You (A) should not have been (B) so rude to him; he (C) might have felt hurt by your words. (D) No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (E). The sentence is grammatically correct. 'Should not have been' is the correct past modal perfect form expressing regret about a past action, and 'might have felt' is the correct form expressing possibility in the past. Both modal constructions are properly formed and contextually appropriate.

Question 10

In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):

She (A) should have gone (B) to the doctor yesterday, but she (C) wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. (D) No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (D). The sentence is grammatically correct. 'Should have gone' is the correct past modal form (expressing a regretted action that didn't happen), and 'wouldn't listen' correctly uses the past modal of refusal. Both modal constructions are appropriate for the context.

Question 11

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

You (A) might to consider / (B) taking a different approach / (C) if the current strategy / (D) does not work. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). The modal verb 'might' should be followed by the bare infinitive 'consider', not 'to consider'. The correct form is 'might consider'.

Question 12

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

The doctor advised that the patient **A) should take** medicine regularly, **B) ought to avoid** fatty foods, **C) and must to follow** **D) a strict diet.** / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C. The phrase 'must to follow' is incorrect. The modal 'must' should be followed directly by the base form of the verb without 'to'. The correct form is 'must follow'. Note that 'ought to' in part B is correct because 'ought' is a semi-modal that requires 'to', but 'must' is a pure modal that never takes 'to'.

Question 13

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

The manager said that employees **A) will have to submit** their reports **B) by Friday,** and they **C) must not to forget** **D) the deadline.** / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C. After the modal 'must', the base form of the verb should follow directly. The phrase 'must not to forget' is incorrect; it should be 'must not forget'. The 'to' should not appear after the modal 'must', even in negative constructions. The correct form is: modal + not + base verb.

Question 14

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

You **A) must to attend** the meeting tomorrow, **B) as it is** **C) mandatory for all** **D) employees.** / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part A. The modal verb 'must' should be followed directly by the base form of the verb (infinitive without 'to'). The correct form is 'must attend', not 'must to attend'. This is a fundamental rule of modal auxiliaries in English.

Question 15

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error:

(A) She could have / (B) attended the meeting / (C) if she would have / (D) received the invitation. / No error

Accepted Answer

Part (C) contains an error. The sentence uses a mixed conditional structure. In a past conditional (if + had + V3, then could have + V3), the 'if' clause should use 'had received,' not 'would have received.' The phrase 'would have' belongs only in the main clause, not the conditional clause.

Question 16

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error:

(A) The manager said / (B) that employees must / (C) to complete / (D) their reports on time. / No error

Accepted Answer

Part (C) contains an error. After the modal verb 'must,' the base form of the verb should follow directly without the infinitive marker 'to.' The correct form is 'must complete,' not 'must to complete.'

Question 17

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error:

(A) The students / (B) ought to have / (C) studied harder / (D) for the examination. / No error

Accepted Answer

The sentence is grammatically correct. 'Ought to have studied' is the correct modal perfect form expressing regret or criticism about a past action. 'Ought to' is a modal that takes 'have + past participle' to refer to the past. All parts are properly structured.

Question 18

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error:

(A) You should not / (B) have spoken / (C) to him in / (D) that manner. / No error

Accepted Answer

The sentence is grammatically correct. 'Should not have spoken' is the correct form of the modal perfect (modal + have + past participle) used to express regret or criticism about a past action. All parts are correctly structured.

Question 19

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the error:

The students **A) could have completed** the project on time **B) if they** **C) would have started** **D) earlier.** / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C. In conditional sentences expressing past hypothetical situations, the structure should be: 'If + had + V3, then + would/could have + V3'. The phrase 'would have started' in the 'if' clause is incorrect; it should be 'had started'. The 'if' clause requires 'had' (past perfect), not 'would have'. The correct sentence: 'The students could have completed the project on time if they had started earlier.'

Question 20

Identify the error in the sentence:
The manager (A) said that employees (B) must to complete the project (C) before the deadline (D). No error (E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (C). After the modal verb 'must', the base form of the verb should be used without 'to'. The correct form is 'must complete', not 'must to complete'.

CDS Modals

Modals— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Modals — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Modals