Modals of Certainty
Which modal shows strong certainty about a past event?
→ must have
What does the word solve mean?
→ To find an answer to a problem
What caused the neighbors to panic at the start of the episode?
→ A sudden power outage
“You __________ wear a helmet when biking. It’s the law.” (should / might)
→ should
What is an urban myth?
→ A false but widely believed story with no proof (usually scary or funny)
Fill in the blank: “The lights are off. They __________ have gone to bed.” (must / can’t)
→ must
Which verb means to make a problem worse?
→ aggravate
What idea does the boy Tommy suggest that makes the neighbors more suspicious?
→ That aliens are living among them in disguise
“He __________ have locked the door. It’s still open.” (must / can’t)
→ can’t
Give one example of an urban myth from your culture that most people know.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “If you whistle at night, ghosts will appear.”)
Which modal shows weak certainty or a guess about the present?
→ might
“After days of rumors, she finally decided to confront her boss about the situation.”
What does confront mean?
→ To face someone or something directly, often in a challenging way
What theme does the episode mainly explore?
→ Fear and suspicion can destroy communities
“We __________ have called her earlier. Now it’s too late.” (should / might)
→ should
Which of the following is an example of a mistake caused by fear?
A. Solving a mystery calmly
B. Ignoring suspicious behavior
C. Blaming someone without evidence
D. Asking questions
→ C
Choose the modal that best expresses impossibility:
“She __________ be at home. Her car is gone.”
→ can’t
Fill in the blank: “He wouldn’t talk about it. He was trying to __________ the issue.”
→ avoid
Why does the situation on Maple Street get worse, even though there is no real danger?
→ Because people make guesses and accuse each other without proof
“There was a strong wind outside, and the shutters were banging. That noise __________ have been the wind.” (could / must)
→ must
Describe a time when someone misunderstood a situation and made it worse. Use a modal (e.g., should have, might have).
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “He should have waited before speaking.”)
Write one sentence using must have to explain a mystery with only one logical explanation.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “She must have forgotten her keys again.”)
Use aggravate in a sentence about someone making a bad situation worse.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “Yelling will only aggravate the situation.”)
Describe how Charlie’s behavior shows the theme of fear. Use a modal in your answer.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “Charlie must have panicked when he shot the man.”)
You’re a detective solving the case of the murder on Maple Street. Write a sentence using a past modal (e.g., must have, might have, couldn’t have) and a vocabulary verb (e.g., solve, avoid, aggravate) to explain what happened.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “Charlie must have aggravated the situation when he shot the figure.”)
Villagers believe an old legend about strange disappearances in the forest, but a new road project is planned to go directly through it.
Predict how the community might react. Use a modal and a vocabulary verb like avoid, aggravate, or solve in a sentence that explains the effect of the myth on their decision-making.
→ (Open-ended; e.g., “They might try to avoid building the road because of the legend, which could aggravate tensions with outsiders.”)