A class in Villavicencio observes the sky after a storm at night and discusses what happened.
Look at the sky and the wet clothes on the line. It ________ have rained last night.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)must
💡 Explicación
The modal verbs of deduction form a scale of certainty: "must" is almost certain, "may" and "might" are possible, and "can't" rules the conclusion out. Choosing the right modal depends on how strong the evidence is, and here the evidence is visible and conclusive.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)must
A)mightIncorrect. "Might" expresses only a possibility, but the evidence here is strong enough to support a certain conclusion.
B)couldIncorrect. "Could" is another modal of possibility and is weaker than what the visible evidence allows.
C)mustCorrect. "Must" expresses a deduction: the wet clothes and the sky make it certain that it rained.
D)shallIncorrect. "Shall" is used for offers, promises and formal instructions, and it never expresses a deduction.
💡 Explicación
The modal verbs of deduction form a scale of certainty: "must" is almost certain, "may" and "might" are possible, and "can't" rules the conclusion out. Choosing the right modal depends on how strong the evidence is, and here the evidence is visible and conclusive.
Pregunta 2
Pregunta 2 · D4Bloom: Remember
A group of students reads a headline about screen time and discuss whether it applies to everybody.
The headline says that students spend six hours a day on social media. That ________ not be true for everybody. Use "may".
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)may
💡 Explicación
"May" and "might" are the modals used to doubt something, and both work in the negative: "may not be true". Modals such as "must" express certainty and "shall" is used for instructions, so neither of them can replace "may" in a sentence about something that is merely possible.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)may
A)mustIncorrect. "Must not" would be a strong rejection of the claim, but the speaker is only uncertain, not certain.
B)mayCorrect. "May" expresses possibility and works well in the negative form "may not" to express doubt about a general claim.
C)shallIncorrect. "Shall not" is used for refusals and prohibitions in formal English, not for expressing doubt.
D)needIncorrect. "Need" is a modal of obligation and cannot be used to express the speaker's uncertainty.
💡 Explicación
"May" and "might" are the modals used to doubt something, and both work in the negative: "may not be true". Modals such as "must" express certainty and "shall" is used for instructions, so neither of them can replace "may" in a sentence about something that is merely possible.
Pregunta 3
Pregunta 3 · D4Bloom: Remember
A television channel in Colombia is described in a unit about media professions.
Which word names the person who presents the news on television every night?
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)news anchor
💡 Explicación
Media vocabulary names distinct roles: the "anchor" presents on air, the "reporter" collects information in the field, the "editor" decides what is published and the "audience" watches. Knowing who does each job is what allows a student to name the right profession.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)news anchor
A)subscriberIncorrect. A subscriber is the person who pays for a service, so that role belongs to the audience, not to the presenter.
B)viewerIncorrect. A viewer watches programmes, which is the opposite role from presenting the news.
C)sponsorIncorrect. A sponsor pays for advertising, so that person supports the channel instead of appearing on it.
D)news anchorCorrect. A news anchor reads the news on television, which is exactly the job described in the sentence.
💡 Explicación
Media vocabulary names distinct roles: the "anchor" presents on air, the "reporter" collects information in the field, the "editor" decides what is published and the "audience" watches. Knowing who does each job is what allows a student to name the right profession.
Pregunta 4
Pregunta 4 · D4Bloom: Understand
A short survey text from a Colombian school is used in a reading lesson about phones in the classroom.
In the school survey, sixty per cent of the students said they check their phones within ten minutes of waking up. Teachers reported that it is harder to start a lesson when many phones are on the desks. What problem does the text mention?
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)Students find it difficult to begin a class when phones are switched on.
💡 Explicación
A reading answer must stay inside the information of the text. The problem named is the difficulty of starting a lesson with many phones present. The other options either invent a prohibition, invent a number or add a claim about skills that the survey never measures.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)Students find it difficult to begin a class when phones are switched on.
A)Students find it difficult to begin a class when phones are switched on.Correct. The text says it is harder to start a lesson when many phones are on the desks, which is exactly this problem.
B)Students do not know how to use social networks.Incorrect. Nothing in the text says students lack technical knowledge; the survey only measures the time they spend on the phone.
C)Teachers refuse to allow phones in the classroom.Incorrect. The text reports a difficulty, not a rule, and no prohibition is mentioned anywhere.
D)Most students use more than three apps every morning.Incorrect. The text mentions the ten minutes after waking up, not a number of applications.
💡 Explicación
A reading answer must stay inside the information of the text. The problem named is the difficulty of starting a lesson with many phones present. The other options either invent a prohibition, invent a number or add a claim about skills that the survey never measures.
Pregunta 5
Pregunta 5 · D6Bloom: Apply
A student is talking with a friend about the previous night.
You ________ be tired if you only slept three hours last night.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)must
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs of deduction follow the strength of the evidence, and the clearest of them is "must" for something certain. The modal is always followed by the bare infinitive, so the correct form here is "must be" and never "must to be".
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)must
A)shouldIncorrect. "Should" is used to give advice or recommendations, not to draw a logical conclusion from facts.
B)canIncorrect. "Can" expresses ability or possibility, whereas this sentence needs certainty about the consequences.
C)mustCorrect. "Must" expresses a logical conclusion, and after a modal the verb is always in the base form: must be.
D)wouldIncorrect. "Would" describes a hypothetical situation, which is not what a deduction about the past night requires.
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs of deduction follow the strength of the evidence, and the clearest of them is "must" for something certain. The modal is always followed by the bare infinitive, so the correct form here is "must be" and never "must to be".
Pregunta 6
Pregunta 6 · D6Bloom: Apply
A discussion in which two students defend a balanced opinion about social media.
I wouldn't say that social media is bad. It might be useful, and it can be dangerous at the same time. ________ be both true.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)It can
💡 Explicación
"Can" expresses possibility in a neutral way, and saying "it can be both true" allows a balanced opinion. The modals of prohibition and obligation, such as "mustn't" and "shouldn't", do not belong in a sentence about what is possible.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)It can
A)It shouldn'tIncorrect. "Shouldn't" expresses an obligation not to do something, and it cannot be used to say that two things happen together.
B)It canCorrect. "It can" shows that two different qualities may exist at the same time, which is exactly the argument being made.
C)It mightn'tIncorrect. "Mightn't be both true" contradicts the previous sentences, where the writer says both may well be the case.
D)It mustn'tIncorrect. "Mustn't" forbids a situation entirely, which is not the point the writer is making.
💡 Explicación
"Can" expresses possibility in a neutral way, and saying "it can be both true" allows a balanced opinion. The modals of prohibition and obligation, such as "mustn't" and "shouldn't", do not belong in a sentence about what is possible.
Pregunta 7
Pregunta 7 · D6Bloom: Apply
A student disagrees with a classmate about the reliability of different sources of news.
Your friend says that television news is more reliable than social media. Which reply shows the most careful response?
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)"That can be true in some cases, but it depends on the source, so we should check where the information comes from."
💡 Explicación
A careful response has three steps: recognise what is true in the other person's claim, add a condition, and propose something useful. Option C does all three. Claiming certainty, dismissing the other side or refusing to discuss the issue are all weaker forms of argument in a school discussion.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)"That can be true in some cases, but it depends on the source, so we should check where the information comes from."
A)"No, that is completely wrong and you should stop watching the news."Incorrect. It dismisses the friend with "completely wrong" and gives an order, which prevents any real discussion.
B)"Everyone knows I am right about this."Incorrect. This is an appeal to authority instead of an argument, because it offers no evidence of any kind.
C)"That can be true in some cases, but it depends on the source, so we should check where the information comes from."Correct. It accepts part of the friend's point and then proposes a real criterion, the source, which is a careful and reasoned reply.
D)"It does not matter; do not watch anything."Incorrect. "It does not matter" ends the discussion and the second part is an order, so the opinion is never addressed.
💡 Explicación
A careful response has three steps: recognise what is true in the other person's claim, add a condition, and propose something useful. Option C does all three. Claiming certainty, dismissing the other side or refusing to discuss the issue are all weaker forms of argument in a school discussion.
Pregunta 8
Pregunta 8 · D6Bloom: Apply
A style guide explains how modal verbs are used in reports about media work.
Choose the correct sentence for a report about media work.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)"Journalists must interview people before publishing a story."
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs have one fixed pattern: modal + base form of the verb. Neither the preposition "to" nor the "-ing" form may follow a modal. This single rule explains why three of these sentences are impossible and only one is correct.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)"Journalists must interview people before publishing a story."
A)"Journalists must to interview people before publishing a story."Incorrect. Modals are followed by the base form of the verb, so "must to interview" is not allowed in English.
B)"Journalists must interviewing people before publishing a story."Incorrect. A modal is never followed by the "-ing" form, so "must interviewing" cannot be used.
C)"Journalists must to interviewing people before publishing a story."Incorrect. This sentence combines both incorrect patterns at once: the extra "to" and the "-ing" form.
D)"Journalists must interview people before publishing a story."Correct. After the modal "must" the bare infinitive follows, with no "to" and no "-ing".
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs have one fixed pattern: modal + base form of the verb. Neither the preposition "to" nor the "-ing" form may follow a modal. This single rule explains why three of these sentences are impossible and only one is correct.
Pregunta 9
Pregunta 9 · D8Bloom: Analyze
A linguistics exercise asks students to choose a modal according to how strong the evidence is.
The message on the screen is written in Spanish and uses the word "gracias". The sender ________ be from Spain, but we cannot be completely sure.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)might
💡 Explicación
"When we cannot be completely sure" is the signal for a modal of possibility, and the strongest of them is "must" and the weakest are "may" and "might". "Mustn't" and "can't" express different meanings entirely: prohibition and negative deduction.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)might
A)can'tIncorrect. "Can't" makes a negative deduction, and nothing in the evidence rules out Spain.
B)mustn'tIncorrect. "Mustn't" is a prohibition, not a deduction, so it cannot be used to speculate about a sender.
C)mightCorrect. "Might" expresses a possible conclusion that the evidence cannot confirm with certainty.
D)shouldIncorrect. "Should" is used for advice or expectation, not for a conclusion that may or may not be true.
💡 Explicación
"When we cannot be completely sure" is the signal for a modal of possibility, and the strongest of them is "must" and the weakest are "may" and "might". "Mustn't" and "can't" express different meanings entirely: prohibition and negative deduction.
Pregunta 10
Pregunta 10 · D8Bloom: Analyze
A media literacy lesson examines why some online videos should not be trusted.
A video shared by thirty thousand users claims that drinking lemon water cures every illness. The page where it appears has no logo, no date and no name of a professional. When the users were asked how they found the video, most said a relative had sent it to them in a private message. Which detail most weakens the claim?
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)The absence of a named professional, a date and a source on the page.
💡 Explicación
Media literacy asks which detail makes a claim less reliable. Popularity and the channel of sharing are irrelevant to accuracy, while a page with no author, no date and no professional source cannot be checked. That absence of sources is what weakens the extraordinary claim.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)The absence of a named professional, a date and a source on the page.
A)The absence of a named professional, a date and a source on the page.Correct. A claim that cures every illness is extraordinary, and the absence of any source or authority makes the video unreliable.
B)The number of users who shared the video.Incorrect. A large number of shares shows popularity, but popularity is not evidence that a claim is true.
C)The fact that it was shared in private messages.Incorrect. The channel of sharing says nothing about whether the claim itself is accurate.
D)The length of the video.Incorrect. The text gives no information about the length, and duration says nothing about truth.
💡 Explicación
Media literacy asks which detail makes a claim less reliable. Popularity and the channel of sharing are irrelevant to accuracy, while a page with no author, no date and no professional source cannot be checked. That absence of sources is what weakens the extraordinary claim.
Pregunta 11
Pregunta 11 · D8Bloom: Analyze
A friend describes how she travelled to a place, and the listener draws a conclusion from the evidence.
Where ________ you? You must have taken the TransMilenio, because nobody walks that distance in half an hour.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)have
💡 Explicación
"Have" builds both the present perfect and the modal perfect ("must have"), and the modal perfect is what allows a deduction about a past moment. The auxiliary in the question must therefore be "have", which is also what the explanation with "must have" repeats.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)have
A)didIncorrect. The past simple "did" needs a time reference such as "this morning"; here the deduction concerns the way the person travelled.
B)haveCorrect. "Must have" plus participle draws a deduction about the past, and that is exactly the structure used in the explanation.
C)wereIncorrect. "Were" is the past of "to be" and cannot be used here without a place expression after it.
D)areIncorrect. "Are" asks about the present, but the deduction concerns how the speaker got to that place.
💡 Explicación
"Have" builds both the present perfect and the modal perfect ("must have"), and the modal perfect is what allows a deduction about a past moment. The auxiliary in the question must therefore be "have", which is also what the explanation with "must have" repeats.
Pregunta 12
Pregunta 12 · D8Bloom: Evaluate
A journalism course reviews the correct vocabulary for describing a live broadcast.
Which expression is used correctly in a report about a television channel?
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)"The programme was broadcast live from the port."
💡 Explicación
The correct collocation is "broadcast a programme". "Cover", "announce" and "transmit" describe other actions, and none of them works with the subject "the programme" in this passive construction. Learning the verb together with its usual subject and object avoids these errors.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)"The programme was broadcast live from the port."
A)"The channel was covered live from the port."Incorrect. Channels are not "covered"; covering applies to people, places or events, and it is the programme that is transmitted.
B)"The channel broadcasted itself from the port."Incorrect. "Broadcasted" is rarely used, and the reflexive "itself" makes no sense for a channel, which does not broadcast itself.
C)"The channel was announced by itself live."Incorrect. A channel announces programmes, but it is not "announced by itself", and that structure is meaningless here.
D)"The programme was broadcast live from the port."Correct. Television programmes are "broadcast", and the passive form is the natural way to describe a transmission.
💡 Explicación
The correct collocation is "broadcast a programme". "Cover", "announce" and "transmit" describe other actions, and none of them works with the subject "the programme" in this passive construction. Learning the verb together with its usual subject and object avoids these errors.
¿Listo para practicar?
Resuelve un simulacro de Inglés para Grado 8 con temporizador y seguimiento de tu progreso.