Students work in pairs and open the corresponding pages above. On each page, students have ten situations that they read to their partners. Partners listen and come up with a comment about the situation using a modal verb of probability in the past.
- You know that John always goes to bed at around 10pm. It is now 11pm, and your friend wants to call him. Why shouldn't she call him?
- There is an old building that has been empty for many years near your house. It looks like there was a fire a long time ago. What happened to the family that used to live there?
- You have been driving on the highway for a long time. Suddenly, the car stops working. What happened?
- You went out for sushi for dinner. A couple hours after dinner, your stomach starts to hurt. What happened?
- Last week, before going to the beach, you bought some sunscreen on sale for 99 cents. You thought this was strange because it was so cheap. Later, after going to the beach, you got a really bad burn. What happened?
- You took a bus this morning. You know you had your umbrella, but now, you can't find it. You are trying to think what happened to your umbrella...
- You live with a roommate. This morning, when you left for school, the kitchen was really messy. When you came home this afternoon, the kitchen was really clean. What happened?
- You think your friends are totally in love. They were dating for many months. Recently, you haven't seen them together. Someone tells you that perhaps, they had broken up. What do you think about this?
- You know it is almost impossible to buy the new iPhone because it is always sold out. Suddenly, a student in class comes to school with a new iPhone. What happened?
- A student hasn't come to class for three days. This student never misses classes. What do you think has happened?
- You expected the train to be crowded. When you entered the train this morning, there were plenty of seats available. It was strange. How do you express your expectation?
- You are trying to use your debit card. You enter your PIN number, and suddenly you see that your transaction has been declined. What happened?
- You needed to call your family but you are sure they have already left for work. Why didn't you call them?
- Yesterday you were walking around a mall and saw a wonderful shirt on sale for a really cheap price. You left your money at home, so you couldn’t buy it. You know it is a waste of time to go back to the mall today to look for the shirt. Why?
- You are watching a soccer game between Chelsea and Barcelona. You left for work with ten minutes left to play and the score 3-0 for Chelsea. Later, you see Barcelona fans celebrating. Barcelona won. How do you feel about this?
- You want to go out for dinner. It's 8pm. You want to invite a friend, but you think twice before calling her. Why?
- You return home after school to see your apartment in a mess. The window is broken and many things are missing. What happened?
- You know your friend's boyfriend was a smoker. You are hanging out with your friend and her boyfriend, and he hasn't smoked all night. What happened?
- Your coworker suddenly starts coming to work wearing really nice and expensive clothes. A few weeks later, he quits his job. What happened to this guy?
- Your friend had a soccer game yesterday afternoon. This morning, he comes to class with a broken foot. What happened?