Use a modal to make a past deduction in the ...

★ Modals of Speculation and Deduction

Use a modal to make a past deduction in the following sentence: ‘The movie started late, so it ____________ have been a technical issue.’

A. must have

B. should have

C. could have

D. might have

Preview next quiz:

Differentiate between ‘must’ and ‘could’ in terms of their meaning and usage in making deductions.

A. The use of ‘must’ indicates a lower level of certainty in making deductions, while ‘could’ indicates a higher level of certainty or possibility.

B. Both ‘must’ and ‘could’ indicate the same level of certainty in making deductions.

C. The use of ‘must’ and ‘could’ is interchangeable in making deductions.

D. The use of ‘must’ indicates a higher level of certainty in making deductions, while ‘could’ indicates a lower level of certainty or possibility.