Exercise 1
Write these sentences in a different way using might.
1 Perhaps Helen is in her office. …………………….
2 Perhaps Helen is busy. …………………….
3 Perhaps she is working. …………………….
4 Perhaps she wants to be alone. …………………….
5 Perhaps she was ill yesterday. …………………….
6 Perhaps she went home early. …………………….
7 Perhaps she had to go home early. …………………….
8 Perhaps she was working yesterday. …………………….
In sentences 9-11 use might not.
9 Perhaps she doesn’t want to see me. …………………….
10 Perhaps she isn’t working today. …………………….
11 Perhaps she wasn’t feeling well yesterday. …………………….
Answers
1
1 She might be in her office.
2 She might be busy.
3 She might be working.
4 She might want to be alone.
5 She might have been ill yesterday.
6 She might have gone home early.
7 She might have had to go home early.
8 She might have been working yesterday.
9 She might not want to see me.
10 She might not be working today.
11 She might not have been feeling well yesterday.
You can use may instead of might in all these sentences.
Exercise 2
Complete each sentence with a verb in the correct form.
1 ‘Where’s Ben?’ ‘I’m not sure. He might ……………………. lunch.’
2 ‘Who is that man with Anna?’ ‘I’m not sure. It might ……………………. her brother.’
3 A: Who was the man we saw with Anna yesterday?
B: I’m not sure. It may ……………………. her brother.
4 A: What are those people doing by the side of the road?
B: I don’t know. I suppose they might ……………………. for a bus.
5 ‘Is Sarah here?’ ‘I can’t see her. She may not ……………………. yet.’
Answers
2
1 be having
2 be
3 have been
4 be waiting
5 have arrived / have come
Exercise 3
Read the situation and make sentences from the words in brackets. Use might.
1 I can’t find Jeff anywhere. I wonder where he is.
a (he / go / shopping) …………………….
b (he / play / tennis) …………………….
2 I’m looking for Sophie. Do you know where she is?
a (she / watch / TV) …………………….
b (she / go / out) …………………….
3 I can’t find my umbrella. Have you seen it?
a (it / be / in the car) …………………….
b (you / leave / in the restaurant) …………………….
4 Why didn’t Dan answer the doorbell? I’m sure he was at home at the time.
a (he / go / to bed early) …………………….
b (he / not / hear / the doorbell) …………………….
c (he / be / in the shower) …………………….
Answers
3
1 a He might have gone shopping.
b He might be playing tennis.
2 a She might be watching TV.
b She might have gone out.
3 a It might be in the car.
b You might have left it in the restaurant.
4 a He might have gone to bed early.
b He might not have heard the doorbell.
c He might have been in the shower.
You can use may instead of might in all these sentences.
Exercise 4
Complete the sentences using might not have … or couldn’t have ….
1 A: Do you think Sarah got the message I sent her?
B: No, she would have replied. …………………….
2 A: I was surprised Amy wasn’t at the meeting. Perhaps she didn’t know about it.
B: That’s possible. …………………….
3 A: I wonder why they haven’t replied to the email l sent. Do you think they received it?
B: Maybe not. They …………………….
4 A: I wonder how the fire started. Was it an accident?
B: No, the police say it …………………….
5 A: Mike says he needs to see you. He tried to find you yesterday.
B: Well, he ……………………. very hard. I was in my office all day.
6 A: The man you spoke to – are you sure he was American?
B: No, I’m not sure. He …………………….
Answers
4
1 She couldn’t have got it.
2 She might not have known about it.
3 might not have received it / might not have got it
4 couldn’t have been an accident
5 couldn’t have tried
6 might not have been American
