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Modal Auxiliaries — GK Questions with Answers

Current Affairs 2026 Today's GK Quiz Static GK हिन्दी
20 questions
  1. We ______ go provided the weather ______ fine. (Previous year)
    1. shall, is
    2. ought to, has to be
    3. might, is being
    4. have to, was to being
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) shall, is

    Plain future with we takes shall. And a clause beginning with provided takes the simple present, so is — not a future form.

  2. Which sentence, out of the following, expresses advice? (Previous year)
    1. You shall read this book.
    2. You can read this book.
    3. You may read this book.
    4. You ought to read this book.
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) You ought to read this book.

    Check the other three first: shall gives a command, can shows ability, may gives permission. Only ought to advises.

  3. Fill in the blank with the correct modal: He ______ not enter my house again. (Command) (Previous year)
    1. may
    2. might
    3. shall
    4. can
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) shall

    A command about a third person takes shall — the opposite of the plain-future rule.

  4. Which sentence uses a modal verb correctly to express logical certainty? (Previous year)
    1. She should be at home now.
    2. He might have been there yesterday.
    3. She must have left already.
    4. He could be arriving at the station.
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) She must have left already.

    must have + V3 means the speaker is sure about the past. Should, might and could all leave room for doubt.

  5. After lunch he ______ generally have a short nap. (Past habit) (Previous year)
    1. ought to
    2. will
    3. would
    4. should
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) would

    would is used for a repeated action in the past. Used to would also be correct, but it is not in the options.

  6. Railway notice: Passengers ______ cross the line by the footbridge. (Previous year)
    1. may
    2. could
    3. must
    4. can
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) must

    A notice carries the authority of the railway, so it is an order — must. May and can would only permit it.

  7. Early passenger planes ______ not hold more than 30 passengers. (Habitual action in the past) (Previous year)
    1. may
    2. would
    3. shall
    4. can
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) would

    would again — this is how those aircraft normally were, not one single flight.

  8. They look ferocious. They ______ be robbers. (strong likelihood) (Previous year)
    1. shall
    2. would
    3. must
    4. ought to
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) must

    The sentence gives the proof — they look ferocious. When there is evidence, the answer is must.

  9. Don’t play with knives, you ______ get hurt. (likelihood) (Previous year)
    1. should
    2. need
    3. might
    4. have to
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) might

    Here there is no evidence, only a warning. It may happen or it may not — so might.

  10. ______ you be quiet! (order) (Previous year)
    1. Need
    2. Might
    3. Ought
    4. Will
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Will

    An order asked as a question takes will. If the same order were a statement, it would take shall.

  1. You ______ buy your tickets before starting your journey. (Necessity) (Previous year)
    1. may
    2. can
    3. ought to
    4. must
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) must

    Necessity means no choice, so must. Ought to would only advise it.

  2. You ______ be hungry after your long walk. (probability) (Previous year)
    1. have
    2. must
    3. dare
    4. ought
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) must

    The long walk is the evidence, so the speaker is almost sure — must. Some papers call this probability, but the modal is still must.

  3. They ______ often meet in a park. (Past habit) (Previous year)
    1. could
    2. should
    3. might
    4. would
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) would

    would for a repeated past action. Could is ability, should is advice and might is possibility.

  4. In the table of helping verbs, which rows are correct? (A) be — to be, am/is/are, was/were, being (B) have — to have, have/has, had, had (C) do — to do, do/does, did, done (D) dare — to dare, dare, dared, dared (Previous year)
    1. (C), (D) and (A)
    2. (A), (B) and (C)
    3. (D), (A) and (B)
    4. (B), (C) and (D)
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) (B), (C) and (D)

    Row (A) is wrong. The past participle of be is been. Being is the present participle.

  5. Which sentence is correct?
    1. He will can come tomorrow.
    2. He will be able to come tomorrow.
    3. He will could come tomorrow.
    4. He will may come tomorrow.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) He will be able to come tomorrow.

    Two modals cannot stand together, so can gives way to its stand-in be able to.

  6. You ______ wait for me — I have my own key.
    1. must not
    2. need not
    3. cannot
    4. may not
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) need not

    The key is the reason why waiting is unnecessary, so need not. Must not would forbid waiting, which is the opposite meaning.

  7. Which sentence is NOT correct?
    1. There used to be a well here.
    2. There would be a well here.
    3. He used to smoke heavily.
    4. He would smoke on the balcony every evening.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) There would be a well here.

    A well does not perform any action, so this is a past situation. Only used to can describe a situation.

  8. You ______ cooked — we had already eaten on the way.
    1. needn’t have
    2. didn’t need to
    3. mustn’t have
    4. couldn’t have
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) needn’t have

    needn’t have + V3 means the cooking did happen and was wasted. Didn’t need to would suggest it never happened at all.

  9. He ______ be at home — I saw him in the library a minute ago.
    1. mustn’t
    2. can’t
    3. needn’t
    4. shouldn’t
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) can’t

    can’t is how we say we are sure something is false. Mustn’t forbids something; it never means "impossible".

  10. The fire spread quickly, but everybody ______ get out safely.
    1. could
    2. was able to
    3. would
    4. used to
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) was able to

    This is one single occasion, not a general ability, so was able to. Could is used for ability spread over a long time.

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