🔍 It Must Have Been...
Students read an original detective story set in the fictional English village of Thornfield, where a valuable portrait has been stolen from the village hall. As Inspector Lena Voss interviews suspects and examines clues, modals of speculation (must have, might have, could have, can't have) are embedded naturally throughout the narrative. The interactive game presents clue-based scenarios where students choose the correct modal, while the writing task invites them to speculate about an unexplained workplace mystery.
Lesson Plan
- 3 warm-up questions about mysteries
Key Vocabulary
Grammar Points
- must have + pp = strong deduction about the past (95% certain)
- might/may/could have + pp = possible but uncertain (40-50%)
- can't/couldn't have + pp = almost certain it did NOT happen
- Always: modal + have + past participle (not has)
- Use can't have (not mustn't have) for negative deduction
