VB035/06
Adapted from Mann, Malcolm and Steve Taylore-Knowles. Destination B2. Macmillan. 2013.
“Linking Words.” The English Learning Lounge. esl-lounge.com. 2015. Accessed 12 October 2015.
“Writing Class: Formal x Informal Language.” Cambridge English Advanced. Flo-Joe. 2016.
Modal verbs exercise
1) Circle the correct word or phrase. If both options are correct, circle both
a) Hello, could / can I speak to Mrs Johnson, please?
b) We could / were allowed to go home early yesterday because our teacher was ill.
c) The head teacher said we could / were allowed to go home.
d) Do you think I should / could be worried about these spots on my forehead?
e) You ought to / should enter the talent contest!
f) You couldn’t / shouldn’t talk to people like that! It’s rude!
g) Alan should write / have written two essays in the exam yesterday, not one!
h) No, you may / should not go out tonight. You know you’re grounded!
i) Diana should have waited / been waiting for me at the corner. I wonder where she went.
j) What were you doing in the park? You ought to have done / been doing your homework then!
k) Yes, of course you can / are able to open the window if you’re too hot!
2) Use the words below only once to complete the sentences in Table A. the meaning of the sentences in Table B
will help you.
Able, cannot, could, had, have, might, must, needn’t, mustn’t, ought, should, will
Table A Table B
1. I __________ have left my bag on the bus. Expressing certainty
2. In a few months, I’ll be __________ to buy a car. Expressing future ability
3. I __________ drive when I was thirteen years old! Expressing past ability
4. No, you __________ have any more pocket money! Refusing a request
5. I think you __________ consider a career in the
armed forces.
Giving advice
6. I __________ forget to phone Julie tonight! Expressing personal obligation
7. I __________ to have a filling at the dentist’s. Expressing external obligation
in the past
8. You don’t __________ to do Exercise D for
homework.
Expressing a lack of obligation
9. You __________ have to work a lot harder if you
want to get a good report.
Expressing future obligation
10. They __________ to arrive at about 8. Expressing probability
11. Sean __________ have got stuck in traffic. Expressing possibility
12. I __________ have worried so much about Jan’s
present. She loved it!
Expressing a lack of past
obligation
VB035/06
Adapted from Mann, Malcolm and Steve Taylore-Knowles. Destination B2. Macmillan. 2013.
“Linking Words.” The English Learning Lounge. esl-lounge.com. 2015. Accessed 12 October 2015.
“Writing Class: Formal x Informal Language.” Cambridge English Advanced. Flo-Joe. 2016.
Choose the formal sentence.
1) I would appreciate it if you arrive on time.
I’d be happy if you get here on time!
I’d appreciate if you arrive on time.
2) You really must watch this TV series!
I strongly recommend watching this TV series.
Watch this!
3) I would rather you deal with your kids before I call the cops!
I would rather you manage your children before I call the police.
I’d rather you manage your children before I call the cops.
4) She’s really sorry for breaking your favorite Harry Potter action figure.
She truly regrets breaking your favorite Harry Potter action figure.
The girl truly regrets the circumstances that lead to the unplanned dismantling of the Harry Potter action
figure.
5) That was a really tough thing to deal with!
That was a truly tough thing to cope with.
That was a truly difficult issue to manage.
Use one or two words to complete the second sentences in each pair. Make sure you do not change the meaning!
1) Lots of job loss is just one thing resulting from automation.
_____________ unemployment is one consequence of automation.
2) Researchers looked at the problem of graphical user interface from a perspective focusing on user habits.
Researchers _____________ the problem of graphical user interface from a perspective focusing on user
habits.
3) Because of falling consumer interest the company may have to lay off people.
The company has reported a sharp _____________ in consumer interest. _____________, a number of
employees may find themselves unemployed.
4) The approximate number of error logs from is 25.
There are _____________ 25 error logs.
5) It is required that all employees have a driver’s license in order to be employed by the company.
You _____________ have a driver’s license if you want to work for the company.
VB035/06
Adapted from Mann, Malcolm and Steve Taylore-Knowles. Destination B2. Macmillan. 2013.
“Linking Words.” The English Learning Lounge. esl-lounge.com. 2015. Accessed 12 October 2015.
“Writing Class: Formal x Informal Language.” Cambridge English Advanced. Flo-Joe. 2016.
1) Do you know does DDoS stand for? And what exactly does it describe?
2) Read the following text and complete it using the sentences below. You will not need one of the sentences.
Someone Is Learning How to Take Down the Internet
By Bruce Schneier. Schneier on Security. 13 September, 2016. (Excerpt)
Over the past year or two, someone has been probing the defenses of the companies that run critical pieces of the
Internet. [1] We don't know who is doing this, but it feels like a large nation state. China or Russia would be my first
guesses.
Recently, some of the major companies that provide the basic infrastructure that makes the Internet work have seen
an increase in DDoS attacks against them. These attacks are significantly larger than the ones they're used to seeing.
[2] One week, the attack would start at a particular level of attack and slowly ramp up before stopping. The next
week, it would start at that higher point and continue. And so on, along those lines, as if the attacker were looking
for the exact point of failure.
[3] There are many different ways to launch a DDoS attack. The more attack vectors you employ simultaneously, the
more different defenses the defender has to counter with. These companies are seeing more attacks using three or
four different vectors. [4] They can't hold anything back. They're forced to demonstrate their defense capabilities for
the attacker.
What can we do about this? Nothing, really. We don't know where the attacks come from. But this is happening. And
people should know.
a) The attacks are also configured in such a way as to see what the company's total defenses are.
b) They last longer. They're more sophisticated. And they look like probing.
c) These probes take the form of precisely calibrated attacks designed to determine exactly how well these
companies can defend themselves, and what would be required to take them down.
d) Furthermore, the size and scale of these probes -- and especially their persistence -- points to state actors. It
feels like a nation's military cybercommand trying to calibrate its weaponry in the case of cyberwar.
e) This means that the companies have to use everything they've got to defend themselves.
3) Look at the underlined sentences. Rewrite them into more formal language.
VB035/06
Adapted from Mann, Malcolm and Steve Taylore-Knowles. Destination B2. Macmillan. 2013.
“Linking Words.” The English Learning Lounge. esl-lounge.com. 2015. Accessed 12 October 2015.
“Writing Class: Formal x Informal Language.” Cambridge English Advanced. Flo-Joe. 2016.
Linking Words
1) Choose the correct alternative in each sentence.
1. The new supermarket is so much cheaper than the one in John Street. ___________, they do free home deliveries
too. However, on the whole, furthermore, as a result
2. Australia has some beautiful parts of the country. ___________, they also have a lot of dangerous animals.
Though, however, despite, consequently
3. ___________ the high risk involved, many scientists chase tornadoes so they can study them more closely. But,
though, despite, lastly
4. ___________ television can be educational, I think it’s better to read a book. On the other hand, even though,
however, furthermore
5. So you can see there are both advantages and disadvantages of the new system for organising the timetable.
___________, I would say it would be better to stick with the current system. On the whole, and, lastly, but
6. ___________ the rain and the high winds, they never went camping. Because, due to, despite, and
7. This new computer has a better monitor. Its memory is twice as large as the current one and we can use the
internet with it. ___________, its software will make our job so much easier. Finally, however, in short, quite
8. Saline speaks in class when we are trying to work. She shouts out to other students when it is not necessary and
when she does ask me a question, it is doubtlessly a stupid one just to get some attention. ___________ she is a very
disruptive presence in the class. I’m sorry Mr. Philicott. Furthermore, and, in short, consequently
2) Choose the words from the list and put them into the corresponding sentences.
so that, when, even if, once, rather than, because, like
___________ all other computers, your computer must have an IP address to connect to the Internet or another
computer that has an IP address. Servers generally have static IP addresses, ___________ they usually are connected
to the Internet and their IP addresses do not change often. ___________ you connect to the Internet using your
home computer, you most likely are using a temporary or dynamic IP address. Your access provider uses the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to assign your computer a temporary dynamic IP address from a pool of
IP addresses. The dynamic IP address is unique only for that session. ___________ you disconnect, the DHCP server
releases that IP address back in the IP address pool ___________ it can assign it to the next requesting computer.
___________ you immediately reconnect, the DHCP server might not assign you the same IP address. Using DHCP
and dynamic IP addresses means an Internet access provider needs only one IP address for each modem it supports,
___________ one for each of its millions of customers.