Chapter 12-Modals, Part 1 Expressing Ability

Vocabulary Worksheets
by Rachel Spack Koch
Beginning Level
Azar Grammar Series: Basic English Grammar, 3rd edition

Vocabulary Worksheets help students learn new vocabulary in the context of the grammar
covered in the tables of contents of the Azar textbooks or any comparable syllabus. An Answer
Key and Word List for target vocabulary are provided for each chapter. You may download,
reproduce and adapt the material to suit your classroom needs. Vocabulary Worksheets are
Chapter 12Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability
1. Things people and animals can and cant do

2. Things that people can do
3. Where can I?
4. Reading: An Honest Boy
5. Vocabulary review
6. Things people couldnt do
9. Reading: The Beginnings of a Writer
11. Vocabulary review: Opposites
12. Reading: Helen KellerAn Amazing Woman
14. Word search game
Answer Key
Word List
Basic English Grammar, 3rd Edition
Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability
Worksheet 1: Things people and animals can and cant do

Complete the sentences. Write can or cant in each blank space.
1. Pilots ____________ fly airplanes.
2. Newborn babies ____________ chew meat because they dont have any
teeth.
3. Fish ____________ walk.
4. Monkeys ____________ climb trees.
5. A whale ____________ live out of water.
6. Camels ____________ travel for long distances without drinking water.
7. A gorilla ____________ walk on two legs.
8. Alligators ____________ breathe on land
and in water.
9. Bees make honey from flowers, but bees ____________sting, too.

10. A dog barks, but a cat ____________ bark.
1
Copyright 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
rd
Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition
Worksheet 2. Things that people can do

What can these people do? Complete the sentences. Fill in the blank space in
Column A with the letter of the correct phrase from Column B.
Column A
Column B
1.
A tour guide can _______.
a. arrest people
2.
A mechanic can _______.
b. design buildings
3.
A police officer can _______.
c. do math
4.
An author can _______.
d. fix cars
5.
A baker can _______.
e. lead groups of travelers
6.
An accountant can _______.
f. make cakes
7.
A veterinarian can _______.
g. speak more than one language
8.
An architect can _______.
h. take blood pressure
9.
A nurse can _______.
i. take care of animals
A translator can _______.
j. write books
10.
1
Basic English Grammar, 3rd Edition
Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability
Worksheet 3. Where can I?

Complete the conversations. Write the letter of the correct question in the blank
space.
Where can I ?
e.
f.
g.
h.
a. buy my textbooks
b. find information about colleges
c. get a haircut
d. mail this letter
see penguins
see the Empire State Building
visit the pyramids
visit the Taj Mahal
1. Ann: _______?
Bob: Theres a mailbox across the street.
2. Sam: _______?
Pat: At the university bookstore.
3. Jose: _______?
Mary: On the Internet.
4. Toshi: _______?
David: At my barber shop.
5. Yoko: _______?
Harry: In Antarctica.
6. Rosa: _______?
Polly: In New York.
7. Mei Lei: _______?
Carlo: In Egypt.
8. Ali: _______?
Andrew: In India.
1
rd
Worksheet 4. Reading: An Honest Boy

Read the passage. Then complete the sentences below.
An Honest Boy
George Washington, the first president of the United States,
was an honest boy, according to legend. Here is the legend about him.
One day when George Washington was a little boy, his
father gave him a present. The present was an axe. The
axe was a useful present because the Washington family
lived on a farm. George was very happy with the axe and
began to play with it right away.
The next day, his father was surprised and unhappy when he saw his
favorite cherry tree. The tree wasnt standing up any more, but instead it
was lying on the ground. The father was angry and asked George, George!
Did you cut down the cherry tree with your new axe?
George was afraid because his father was angry, but he was brave. He said
to his father, Father, I cannot tell a lie. Yes, I cut down the tree.
George didnt know that it was wrong to cut down the tree. But he knew that
it was wrong to tell a lie. And he couldnt tell a lie to his father.
Circle the word that completes each sentence correctly.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
An honest person tells (the truth / lies).

A legend is a (song / story).
A present is a (gift / problem).
An axe is like a large, sharp (spoon / knife).
A useful thing is something you can (often / never) use.
If you live on a farm, you live in the (city / country).
Right away means (later / immediately).
If something is your favorite, it means that you (hate / like) it very much.
A cherry is (a small red fruit / an axe).
When you cut down something, you (make a mark on it / cut it to the
ground).
11. If you are brave, it means that you have a (strong / rude) character.
12. Wrong is the opposite of (useful, right).
rd
Worksheet 5. Vocabulary review

Complete the sentences. Check all possible completions.
1. The child chewed his _______.
milk
2.
cakes
music
buildings
trees
a knife
an axe
a plate
fly
swim
smile
brave
rude
angry
a lie
a story
a song
leaves
dogs
numbers
automobiles
The tree was full of _______.
cherries
10.
buildings
He told _______.
the truth
9.
books
A person can be _______.
honest
8.
climbed a tree
A bee can _______.
sting
7.
slept
You can cut something with _______.
a spoon
6.
barked
An architect designs _______.
cars
5.
vegetables
An author writes _______.
stories
4.
toy
The dog _______.
breathed
3.
candy
apples
Accountants work with _______.
music
words
1
rd
Worksheet 6. Things people couldnt do

Complete the passages. Choose a word from the word pool and write it in the blank.
hear
move
see
sleep
talk
1. Albert Einstein was a genius, as everybody knows. But,

not many people know this: he couldnt _________________
until he was almost four years old! He was born in Germany,
and so his first words were in German.
2. Ray Charles was a jazz musician of the 20th century. He

was famous all over the world. He was able to play the piano
and compose beautiful music. But he couldnt
__________________. He was blind. He had a long career of
over 50 years. A movie about his life, called Ray, came out in
2004.
3. Ludwig von Beethoven was a famous composer. He wrote

beautiful symphonies. In his middle age, he became totally
deaf. He couldnt _________________ any of his own
beautiful music. Amazingly, he continued to compose music
until he died in 1827.
4. Christopher Reeve was an actor. He had many roles, but he

was most famous for his role as Superman in the movies.
When he was 43 years old, he had a very bad accident: he fell
off a horse. The accident caused a terrible injury; it paralyzed
him forever. He couldnt ________________ any part of his
body from the waist down.
1
rd

Complete the sentences. Write a word from the word pool in the blank space.
accident
jazz
career
composer
genius
injury
middle age
role
surprise waist
belt
1. You wear a belt around your ________________________________.

2. A very, very intelligent person is a ___________________________.
3. A _____________________________ writes music.
4. An actor plays a __________________________ in a play or a movie.
5. The football player had a bad _________________________. He hurt
his knee. He couldnt finish the game.
6. The years between your youth and your old age are your __________.
7. Amazingly means that something is a _________________________.
8. Dr. Barry retired from a long and successful _____________________
as a psychology professor.
9. New Orleans is famous for this kind of music: ___________________.
10. Ella had a terrible __________________________ in her car. Another
car crashed into hers. Her seat belt and her air bag saved her life.
1
rd

Check the word or phrase that means the same as the word or phrase in bold.
1. In just two hours, a newborn horse is able to stand up and
walk.
O sick
O old
O just new in the world
2. Two police officers arrested the thief.
O saw
O shot
O took to the police station
3. Betty Azar is the author of textbooks for ESL students.
O musician
O actor
O writer
4. The soldiers were brave.
O frightened
O lost
O confident and strong
5. Thats good news! Im surprised and happy.

O expecting this
O waiting for this O not expecting this
6. It was totally dark in their house.
O completely
O never
O a little
7. Follow me. Ill lead you to the main road.

O go in front of
O go behind
O go next to
8. Uncle John is my favorite uncle.
O nicest
O oldest
O most loved
9. She was rude. She didnt say, Thank you.

O not pretty
O not polite
O not intelligent
10. When Marias parents went on vacation, her grandmother took care of
her.
O gave presents to O gave candy to
O gave attention to
1
rd
Worksheet 9. Reading: The Beginnings of a Writer

Read the passage. Then answer the questions on the next page.
The Beginnings of a Writer

Once upon a time, a little girl named Joanne lived in England. She
was a good student in languages and literature and did well in those
courses. She had a very good imagination, and she liked to write.
After she graduated from college, she got a job as a secretary. The
secretarial job was not interesting enough to her, so after a while she
got another job. This job was in Portugal. The job was teaching English to
young Portuguese students. She liked that job very much, but after a while
she became homesick. Portugal was too far away from home so she went
back to England. She wanted to be near her family.
At this time, she was writing a book. She started writing the book a few
years before she went to Portugal. She didnt have much money, but she
didnt get a job right away. She wanted to finish writing her book. She
couldnt work in her apartment because it was too cold. The apartment
didnt have heat. So every day she went to a local caf, and she wrote the
book there.
When she finished the book, she sent it to a publisher. The publisher rejected
the book. She sent it to several publishers and they all rejected it. Finally, in
1996, a New York publisher accepted it. That made Joanne very happy.
The name of the main character in the book is Harry Potter. Joanne became
the famous author J.K. Rawlings. And the rest is history! Her books have sold
millions and millions of copies throughout the world.
rd
Worksheet 9, page 2
Circle True if the statement is true. Circle False if the statement is false.
1.
The story is about a little girl in Portugal.
True / False
2.
The girl in the story was a good student in

languages.
True / False
3.
After college, she had a job as a secretary.
True / False
4.
She did well in the secretarial job and became a

department head.
True / False
5.
She had a job as a secretary in Portugal.
True / False
6.
She taught English in Portugal.
True / False
7.
She went back to England because she was cold.
True / False
8.
She wrote a book while she was sitting at a caf.
True / False
9.
A publisher accepted her book right away.
True / False
10.
The book is about a boy named Harry Potter.
True / False
rd

Choose the correct completion.
1. When you take a course, you take a (class / trip).
2. You graduate from a school when you (start / finish) your classes there.
3. A secretary works in (an office / a classroom).
4. After a while means (right away / after some time).
5. When you are homesick, you want to be (at home / away from your
home).
6. If there isnt enough (heat / hot), you feel cold.
7. A local restaurant is (near / far from) your home.
8. A publisher (writes / prints) books.
9. The rest means (a break / everything else).
10. Lisa was able to go to Harvard University because the university
(accepted / rejected) her.
11. When you talk about a character in a book of fiction, you are talking
about a person (in real life / in the imagination of the author).
12. Imagination means (pictures in a movie / pictures in your mind).
fiction = stories and books about people an author invented
1
rd
Worksheet 11. Vocabulary review: Opposites

Complete the sentences in Column A with words that are opposites. Write the letter
of the correct word in Column B in the blank space in Column A.
Column A
Column B
1.
The opposite of honest is ____.
a. useless
2.
The opposite of useful is ____.
b. follow
3.
The opposite of accept is ____.
c. afraid
4.
The opposite of right away is ____.
d. ugly
5.
The opposite of tell a lie is ____.
e. rude
6.
The opposite of brave is ____.
f. right
7.
The opposite of polite is ____.
g. reject
8.
The opposite of lead is ____.
h. after a while
9.
The opposite of beautiful is ____.
i. tell the truth
The opposite of wrong is ____.
j. dishonest
10.
1
rd
Worksheet 12. Reading -- Helen Keller: An Amazing Woman

Read the true story about Helen Keller. Complete the sentences with the correct
words from the word pool.
able
amazing
blind
couldnt
deaf
graduated
knew
right away
Helen Keller: An Amazing Woman

Helen Keller was an amazing woman. As a newborn baby,
she was totally normal, but she lost her sight and hearing
from an illness when she was a young child. She couldnt
see she became ____blind_________. She couldnt hear
she became___________ .
When she was seven years old, her parents found a special teacher for her,
Annie Sullivan. Annie taught Helen everything. At first, Helen ____________
do anything, but soon she learned to communicate by touch. Annie wrote the
shape of letters on her hand, and soon Annie ______________ how to spell.
She touched the mouths of people while they were speaking, and soon she
was ___________ to talk, too. She could converse. And she had a
wonderful imagination. Annie stayed with Helen for 49 years.
Helen was smart and she learned things ____________________. She went
to Radcliffe College, and she __________________ from there in 1904. After
that, she wrote several books. She traveled around the country and made
speeches about people with disabilities. She worked very hard to help
disabled people.
Helen died in 1968 at age 87. During her lifetime, she brought attention to
the difficulties of disabled people. She showed ______________________
strength, and she had a very full life.
made speeches = spoke in public about a special subject
rd

Can you guess the meanings of these words from the story about Helen Keller?
Complete these sentences with a word from the word pool. Write the correct word
in the blank space.
converse
lifetime
disability
feel
form
normal
sight
smart
hearing
illness
spell
strength
1. Something that is _______________________________ is something

that is usual.
2. The ability to see is _______________________________.
3. If you are deaf, you dont have ______________________________.
4. If you have an _______________________________, you are sick.
5. When you touch something, you can ________________________ it.
6. The shape of something is its _______________________________.
7. When you ______________________________ something, you say the
letters of the word.
8. When two people talk to each other, they ______________________.
9. Another word for intelligent is _______________________________.
10. A _______________________ is all the years of the life of a person.
11. If you are strong, you have _______________________________.
12. A person without normal abilities is a disabled person. He or she has a
______________________________, or a
handicap.
1
rd
Worksheet 14. Word search game

Find eight words in the puzzle and circle them. Words can go horizontally,
vertically or diagonally in all directions.
All the words are adjectives that can describe people. All these words are in this
chapter.
The gray shading shows the first letter of a word.
1
rd
Answer Key
Worksheet 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
can
cant
cant
can
cant
can
can
can
can
cant
Worksheet 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
e. lead groups of travelers

d. fix cars
a. arrest people
j. write books
f. make cakes
c. do math
i. take care of animals
b. design buildings
h. take blood pressure
g. speak more than one language
Worksheet 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
d. mail this letter

a. buy my textbooks
b. find information about colleges
c. get a haircut
e. see penguins
f. see the Empire State Building
g. visit the pyramids
h. visit the Taj Mahal
Worksheet 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the truth
story
gift
knife
often
1
rd

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
country
immediately
like
a small red fruit
cut it to the ground
strong
right
Worksheet 5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
candy / toy /vegetables

breathed / barked / slept /
stories / books
buildings
a knife / an axe
sting / fly
honest / brave / rude / angry
the truth / a lie / a story
cherries / apples / leaves
numbers
Worksheet 6
1.
2.
3.
4.
talk
see
hear
move
Worksheet 7
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
waist
genius
composer
role
injury
middle age
surprise
career
jazz
accident
Worksheet 8
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
just new in the world

took to the police station
writer
confident and strong
not expecting this
2
rd

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
completely
go in front of
most loved
not polite
gave attention to
Worksheet 9
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
False
True
True
False
False
True
False
True
False
True
Worksheet 10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
trip class
start finish
a classroom an office
right away after some time
away from your home at home
hot heat
far from near
writes prints
a break everything else
rejected accepted
in real life in the imagination of the author
pictures in a movie pictures in your mind
Worksheet 11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
j. dishonest
a. useless
g. reject
h. after a while
i. tell the truth
c. afraid
e. rude
b. follow
d. ugly
f. right
3
rd
Worksheet 12
blind / deaf
couldnt / knew / able
right away / graduated / speeches
amazing
Worksheet 13
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
normal
sight
hearing
illness
feel
form
spell
converse
smart
lifetime
strength
disability
Worksheet 14
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
afraid
angry
brave
happy
honest
polite
rude
strong
M U
M Y
4
rd
Word List
after a while
able
about
accepted
accident
afraid
after
amazing
angry
animal
apple
arrest
at home
author
away
axe
bark
before
blind
book
brave
break
breath
building
buy
cake
can
cant
candy
car
career
cherries
class
classroom
college
completely
composer
confident
converse
couldnt
country
cut
deaf
design
disability
dishonest
do
else
Empire State
Building
everything
expect
far from
feel
find
finish
fix
fly
follow
form
from
gave attention to
genius
get a haircut
gift
go
graduate
ground
group
happen
happ y
hear
heat
home
honest
hot
illness
imagination
immediately
in front of
in real life
information
injury
jazz
just
knew
knife
language
lead
leaves
letter
lie
lifetime
like
love
mail
make
math
middle age
mind
more
most
move
movie
near
new
normal
number
office
often
one
penguin
people
picture
police station
polite
print
pyramid
reject
reject
right
right away
role
rude
see
sight
slept
smart
some
somethi ng
speak
speech
spell
start
sting
stories
story
strength
strong
surprise
Taj Mahal
take blood
pressure
take care of
talk
tell the truth
textbook
than
this
time
took
toy
traveler
trip
truth
ugly
useless
vegetable
visit
waist
world
write
writer
your
1

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Vocabulary Worksheets

by Rachel Spack Koch

Azar Grammar Series: Basic English Grammar, 3rd edition

Chapter 12Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability

1. Things people and animals can and cant do

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 1: Things people and animals can and cant do

9. Bees make honey from flowers, but bees ____________sting, too.

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 2. Things that people can do

A tour guide can _______.

A mechanic can _______.

A police officer can _______.

An author can _______.

A baker can _______.

e. lead groups of travelers

An accountant can _______.

A veterinarian can _______.

g. speak more than one language

An architect can _______.

h. take blood pressure

A nurse can _______.

i. take care of animals

A translator can _______.

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability

Worksheet 3. Where can I?

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 4. Reading: An Honest Boy

An honest person tells (the truth / lies).

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 5. Vocabulary review

The tree was full of _______.

A person can be _______.

A bee can _______.

You can cut something with _______.

An architect designs _______.

An author writes _______.

The dog _______.

Accountants work with _______.

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 6. Things people couldnt do

1. Albert Einstein was a genius, as everybody knows. But,

2. Ray Charles was a jazz musician of the 20th century. He

3. Ludwig von Beethoven was a famous composer. He wrote

4. Christopher Reeve was an actor. He had many roles, but he

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 7. Vocabulary review

1. You wear a belt around your ________________________________.

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 8. Vocabulary review

O confident and strong

5. Thats good news! Im surprised and happy.

7. Follow me. Ill lead you to the main road.

9. She was rude. She didnt say, Thank you.

Basic English Grammar, 3 Edition

Chapter 12 -- Modals, Part 1, Expressing Ability

Worksheet 9. Reading: The Beginnings of a Writer