Year 5 · SPaG · Modal verbs and adverbs of possibility
Year 5 using modal verbs worksheet and PowerPoint
To choose a modal verb that gives the meaning you want and to change a sentence to make it more or less certain.
Choosing a modal verb
A modal verb goes before another verb and tells you how certain something is. It never changes its form (she can, not she cans).
| more certain | It might rain. → It will rain. |
|---|---|
| less certain | It will rain. → It could rain. |
| advice | You should wear a coat. |
| permission | You may go out to play. |
Examples
- It might rain. (possible)
- The bus will be late. (certain)
Key words
- modal verb
- a verb like can, might or must that goes before another verb
- certain
- sure to happen
- probable
- likely, but not sure
- possible
- may or may not happen
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write the rules for a new school club using must, should, may and could. Say what each modal verb tells the reader.
Pupil target: I can choose a modal verb to say what I mean.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the using modal verbs PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 24 of 43 in the Year 5 SPaG scheme, in the block “Modal verbs and adverbs of possibility”.
Other lessons in this block
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