1 You're expecting David to ring. The phone rings. must 2 Anna is a better runner than Rula. You think Anna will probably win the race tomorrow.
should
3 A letter arrives. It's possible that it's from your cousin, Janice. could
4 There's a knock at the door. Your mum says it might be Colin, but you know Colin is
on holiday. can't
5 You see someone wearing a costume. You think there's a strong probability that she's
going to a fancy-dress party. must
6 Your sister is looking for her hairbrush. You think it's possible that it's in the living
room. might
4
7 You're waiting for Harriet to arrive. You think she'll probably be there in half an
hour. should
8 You're talking about why James seems to be sad. You think it's possible he's in trouble
at school. could
In this situation, the speaker is expressing a strong belief or certainty that the phone ringing indicates that it is David calling. The word "must" is used to convey this sense of certainty.
2. "Anna is a better runner than Rula. You think Anna will probably win the race tomorrow." - should
Here, the speaker is using the word "should" to indicate their prediction or expectation of Anna winning the race based on the information that Anna is a better runner than Rula. The use of "should" suggests a logical conclusion or probability.
3. "A letter arrives. It's possible that it's from your cousin, Janice." - could
This sentence implies that the arrival of the letter presents the possibility that it is from the cousin, Janice. The word "could" is used to express this possibility without certainty.
4. "There's a knock at the door. Your mum says it might be Colin, but you know Colin is on holiday." - can't
In this scenario, the speaker has additional information or knowledge that contradicts the mother's statement. The word "can't" is used to indicate that based on this knowledge, Colin cannot be the person knocking on the door.
5. "You see someone wearing a costume. You think there's a strong probability that she's going to a fancy-dress party." - must
The speaker's observation of someone wearing a costume leads them to conclude with a high degree of certainty that the person is going to a fancy-dress party. The word "must" is used to express this strong probability.
6. "Your sister is looking for her hairbrush. You think it's possible that it's in the living room." - might
In this scenario, the speaker is considering the possibility that the sister's hairbrush is located in the living room. The word "might" is used to express the potential or likelihood of this possibility.
7. "You're waiting for Harriet to arrive. You think she'll probably be there in half an hour." - should
The speaker expects or anticipates Harriet's arrival to occur within a defined timeframe - half an hour. The word "should" indicates their expectation based on the timing.
8. "You're talking about why James seems to be sad. You think it's possible he's in trouble at school." - could
The speaker is considering the possibility that James being sad is attributable to being in trouble at school. The word "could" is used to express this potential explanation or situation.