Search from various English teachers...
Uzbekistan flagYaroslava
Using 'can' and 'must' I have took the tests recently for check my english skills and one test confussed me. There was sentence : I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work. I choose can, but it is wrong answer, the right answer is must. I don't understand why. Can anybody help me with that test, please? Thank you!

Corrections · 8

4

Using 'can' and 'must'

I have took the tests recently for check my english skills and one test confussed me. There was sentence : I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work. I choose can, but it is wrong answer, the right answer is must. I don't understand why. Can anybody help me with that test, please? Thank you!


This question belongs in the question section rather than the notebook section.

To answer the question:

- "can" has multiple meanings:  

* to be able to do - John can speak Spanish.

* to have permission to do - John can go to the party.

* supposition with doubt - Where is John?  He can/could be at the party.


- "must" has multiple meanings:

* obligation - John must study.

* supposition without doubt - Where is John? He must be at the party.


A supposition is needed to answer the question "I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work."

The reasonable choices are

- I must have left them ... (supposition with certainty ... he looked everywhere ... they MUST be at work now/MUST have been left at work)

- I could have left them ... (supposition with doubt ... he hasn't looked everywhere ... they CAN/COULD be at work now/COULD have been left at work)

- I might have left them ... (supposition with doubt ... he hasn't looked everywhere ... they MAY/MIGHT be at work now/MIGHT have been left at work)

2

Using 'can' and 'must'

I have took the tests recently for check my english skills and one test confussed me. There was sentence : I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work. I choose can, but it is wrong answer, the right answer is must. I don't understand why. Can anybody help me with that test, please? Thank you!


*to check my English skills, and one question confused me. 

The reason that the correct answer is “must” is that there would be no other option. The word “must” indicates this fact, as it is quite definite, because the person had already looked everywhere else, without finding the keys. 

1

Using 'can' and 'must'

I have taken / I took some tests recently to check my English skills and one test confused me.

There was a sentence : I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work.

I chose 'can', but it is a/the wrong answer and the right answer was 'must'.

I don't understand why. Can anybody help me with the above (test), please? Thank you!

1
I have took taken (two, three, a few) tests recently for in order to check my english skills and one of the tests confused me. There was this sentence : I can't find my keys anywhere - I ...... have left them at work. I chose can, but it was the wrong answer, the right answer was must. I don't understand why. Can anybody help me with that test, please? Thank you!
0
I must have left my keys at work makes more sense as it's a sure statement something that has happened can would not work as you are saying I have the option to leave my keys at work but makes no sense in this sentence "can I have ice cream" is like you are asking for ice cream "i must have ice cream" means you are definitely having ice cream if you say can it means you are asking or not sure about . "I can leave my keys at work" means you have the option to leave your keys at work "I must have left my keys at work" means you forgot to bring your keys home

Want to progress faster?

Join this learning community and try out free exercises!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!

Start Learning Today