Modal Perfects (Simple & Continuous)

He must have left his phone at home.
She might have been waiting for us at the café.

What do these sentences have in common?

  • Simple structure:

    modal + have + past participle
    (must have forgotten, might have eaten)

  • Continuous structure:

    modal + have been + verb-ing
    (must have been waiting, could have been sleeping)

Contrast them clearly:

  • Simple = one finished action

  • Continuous = ongoing action or focus on duration/continuity


Modal Perfect SimpleModal Perfect Continuous
She must have gone home.            She must have been going home when we called.
They might have lost the map.            They might have been looking for it for hours.


  • She (must / forget) __________ her umbrella at school.
  • They (might / wait) __________ for hours before we arrived.
  • You (could / lose) __________ your keys in the park.
  • He (should / call) __________ before coming over.
  • We (may / drive) __________ for too long without resting.
  • I (can't / finish) __________ the project that quickly!
  • The children (must / play) __________ outside all afternoon.
  • They (might / not hear) __________ the announcement.


  1. He looks tired. He (must / work) all night. → 

  2. They (might / miss) the bus. → 

  3. She (could / study) for the exam when you called. → 

  4. We (should / call) them earlier. → 

  5. She (might / forget) the meeting.
    → _______________________________________________

  6. They (could / get) lost on the way here.
    → _______________________________________________

  7. He (must / study) for the exam for hours.
    → _______________________________________________

  8. You (should / call) me before coming.
    → _______________________________________________

  9. We (might / drive) in circles for a long time.
    → _______________________________________________

  10. She (must / wait) for over an hour when I arrived.
    → _______________________________________________

  11. They (could / leave) already.
    → _______________________________________________

  12. He (might / sleep) when you knocked.
    → _______________________________________________


Prompts:

  • (Prompt: "dirty hands") → 

  • (Prompt: "no homework") → 


Scenario 1
You enter your classroom and find all the chairs upside down and papers are everywhere. What could have happened?

Scenario 2
You see muddy footprints leading from the garden to the kitchen, but no one is home.

Scenario 3
Your friend is wearing a party hat and carrying balloons, but says they were just shopping.

Scenario 4
Someone’s mobile phone is cracked on the ground in front of the café.

Scenario 5
You find an open pizza box outside the school gates — with only one slice missing.

Scenario 6
There’s a broken flower vase and a wet floor, but the cat looks innocent.

Scenario 7
You see a friend yawning and arriving late with messy hair to class.

Scenario 8
The lights are all on in the school hall, but no one is inside.

Scenario 9:
At the café, you find a table with half-eaten cake, two empty coffee cups, and no one around.

Scenario 10:
In the park, there is a soccer ball in the tree branches and muddy footprints all over the playground.

Scenario 11:
You come home and the TV is on, but nobody is there and the door is wide open.

Scenario 12:
Your friend comes to school wearing mismatched shoes and says nothing about it.

Scenario 13:
You see a dog running around with a party hat on its head, but no party nearby.


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