Recommended Level: Pre-intermediate (A2) to Pre-advanced (B2)
This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers. You can practice answering these modal verb conversation questions by yourself or with a partner. You can also write the answers in a notebook, in a digital document, or in the comments section below. Enjoy!
Quick Grammar Note: The English modal verbs are can, could, should, must, will, would, might, may, and shall. English also has several semi-modal verbs and semi-modal phrases, including need, dare, have to, ought to, be supposed to, and others. This resource helps you practice the most common modals and the most common semi-modal, have to.
Let's go!
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English Conversation Questions with Modal Verbs
Can conversation questions (general present ability)
Can you play any instruments?
Can you say "Hello" or "Good morning" in five languages?
Can you swim?
Can you draw or paint well?
Can you play any sports?
What is the first memory that you can recall from your life?
Can you solve a Rubik's cube?
Can you solve this math problem? --> (5 x 5) - (4 + 3)
Can you think of a book or movie that made you cry?
Can you rub your belly and pat your head at the same time?
How can I improve my English speaking skills?
Could conversation questions (past ability)
Could you remember any phone numbers when you were a kid?
Could you whistle when you were a kid?
How fast could you run when you were younger?
What could you do as a child that you can't do now?
What can you do now that you couldn't do when you were younger?
By the time you were seven years old, could you:
read?
ride a bike?
swim?
speak?
cook something?
Example answer: "I could _____ when I was _____."
Can and could conversation questions (requests, permission, and offers)
"Can" and "could" are used for requests and offers. "Can" is considered more informal. You can add "please" before the main verb or at the end of a "can/could" question to make it more polite.
Can I borrow your phone for a minute?
Could you please tell me how to spell your first name?
Can you suggest a good restaurant around here?
Could you recommend a good website to practice my English?
Could I borrow some money from you?
Can you please keep an eye on my things for a minute? (keep an eye on = watch)
Can I choose the next question that we're going to discuss?
Can I get you something to drink?
Is there anything that I could help you with?
Could conversation questions (hypothetical situations)
You can use "could" to discuss possibilities. When you use "could" in this way, you are imagining possible actions and realities. You are discussing potential actions and situations, not real ones. This is linked to the second conditional, which uses the simple past to discuss hypothetical situations. More advanced learners can think of "I could" as "I would have the ability to" or "I would be able to."
Could you live without your phone for a week?
Do you think you could eat as much sugar today as you could when you were a kid?
Do you think you could live alone on an island?
What's a food that you could eat a lot of right now?
How could you make someone's day better today?
Do you think you could stay awake for over 48 hours?
What could you do if you had more free time today?
If you had a lot of money, what are some things you could do to help your family and people around the world?
Could you live without social media for a year?
How long do you think you could run for before you got tired?
Have to and Must conversation questions
While "have to" is not a true modal verb (it uses different negative and question structures than modals), it is often included in the discussion of modals because it discusses obligation. We often use "have to" and "must" interchangeably when something is an opinion ("You [must/have to] see this movie! It's so good!"), and "have to" when something is an obligation, which means you do not have a choice, or when the obligation comes from outside. ("The doctor told me I have to take this medication every day for a week if I want to get better.") The past of "must" and "have to" is "had to." "Yes/No" questions are rare with "must" since they sound formal.
Do you have to call or text anyone this week?
Do you think people must work hard if they want to make a lot of money?
What must you never forget before you leave the house?
Do you have to leave the house for any reason today?
What time did you have to wake up for school when you were a kid?
What must people do to earn someone's trust and friendship?
Did you have to do any chores when you were younger? What did you have to do?
What must students do to succeed in school?
Do you have to wake up early tomorrow?
What must people consider before going on a vacation?
How much do you have to pay for your phone every month?
Should conversation questions (advice, suggestions, and expectations)
Go here for an explanation of "should" and "should have."
What should I do if I want to improve my overall health?
How much time should people spend on their phones in a day?
Who is someone you should talk with more often?
In your opinion, which country should host the Olympic games at some point in the future?
What time do you think you will be asleep tonight? (prediction/expectation: "I should be asleep by...")
Where should I go if I take a vacation in your country? If I want to have a great experience, when should I visit during the year?
In your opinion, which jobs should be paid more?
In your opinion, how should people spend their free time?
Should children be allowed to use smartphones and tablets?
When should people start dating?
How early should we meet before the start of the movie?
Picture Practice - What should they do? / What should they have done?
Look at each situation and ask the and answer the question, "What should [he/she/they] do?" (now) or "What should [he/she/they] have done?" (in the past) Sometimes, both are possible. You can answer in the affirmative or the negative.
Will conversation questions ("I think" predictions)
Start each answer with "I (don't) think _____ will" or "I think _____ won't."
When do you think you'll buy your next computer or phone?
Do you think flying cars will ever become a reality, or is the idea too impractical?
What kind of job do you think you'll have in the future?
How will the world be different in twenty years?
Do you think education will change in the future? How will people learn?
Will people live longer in the future?
Do you think we will still use smartphones in 50 years?
Will physical books and libraries still exist in 50 years?
Do you think people will ever lose interest in social media?
Do you think everyone will speak the same language someday, or is this impossible?
Will conversation questions (first conditional)
If the weather is nice tomorrow, what will you probably do?
If the weather is bad this weekend, what will you do?
Will technology make humans more efficient, lazier, or both?
How will cities change if more and more people work from home?
Imagine that you have applied for university. What will you do if your application isn't accepted?
For more future simple conversation questions with "will," go here.
Would conversation questions
"Would" is used in many contexts, including expressing present interest ("would like") and discussing hypothetical situations with the second and third conditional. It is also used for certain types of wishes ("I wish ____ would," for the present, and, "I wish ____ would have," for the past).
What would you like to have for dinner today?
If you could study any subject in detail, which one would you choose?
Do you think you would use your time well if there were three more hours in each day?
How would you react if someone insulted you?
Would you date someone who smoked cigarettes?
If you found a wallet full of money, would you try to find the person it belonged to?
If you wrote a book, what would it be about?
If you had the power to end one problem in the world, which one would you choose?
Do you wish you would have spent your time differently in the past?
How would you rate your English progress? Would you say you are satisfied with it?
If you hadn't started studying English, would you have studied a different language?
Might conversation questions
"Might" is the equivalent of "maybe" in English. For instance, instead of saying "Maybe I will see a movie tonight," you can say, "I might see a movie tonight." Practice using "might" below.
What's a place that you might like to visit one day?
Imagine that you have started coughing. What illness might you have?
Can you suggest a website, movie, book, or musician that I might like?
What's a food that you've never tried, but that you think you might like?
What's an activity that you might like to try?
If you had a pet, what might you decide to name it?
What is something that you might do this weekend?
What might you have for lunch tomorrow?
What's a movie that you might watch or a book that you might read in the future?
Is there anything you might have to buy soon?
May conversation questions (permission, requests, offers, and possibilities)
"May" can be used to indicate a higher probability of something than "might." However, most speakers do not think about or are even aware of this difference, so they two words are often used interchangeably. For example: "Where is Lawrence?" "He [might/may] be in the kitchen." May is also used to ask for permission. Both question types are practiced below. For requests and offers, imagine the appropriate context for each situation.
May I ask where you were born?
Answer: "Yes, you may. I was born in _____."
"No, you may not! That's personal."
May I borrow a pencil?
May I add you to my social media account? (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
What may happen if global temperatures continue to increase?
May a friend of mine join us for lunch tomorrow?
May I help you with your English homework?
If I want to take some nice pictures in this city, where may I go?
That's it! Did you enjoy practicing with these questions? If you did and you want to support my work--and if you want to continue improving your English vocabulary and speaking skills--pick up a copy of my book, 300 Practical English Words and Phrases. Thank you and good luck with your studies. Keep practicing!