← Back to C1 General contentsWorkbook · 7A. As a matter of fact…
Home practice · modals of permission, obligation & necessity · prefixes · answer key included
1 · Modals — choose the best option
You ______ take photos, but no flash.
You ______ tell anyone what we discussed.
You ______ reply — but it would be nice if you did.
According to the invitation, we ______ be there by seven.
You ______ apologise — she's clearly upset.
'You needn't have brought a gift' means:
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2 · Complete with a prefixed word from the box (adjust form)
- The rumour was drop — there was no evidence at all.
- I keep drop how long the commute will take.
- The theory was drop by two separate studies.
- That album has been quite drop by younger critics recently.
- It's easy to drop a silence like that if you don't know the speaker.
- The design drop the iPhone by five years.
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3 · Rewrite using the structure in brackets
'It's forbidden to use flash.' (using 'mustn't')
'The rule says visitors sign in at reception.' (using 'to')
'She brought a gift; it wasn't necessary.' (using 'needn't have')
'It's not necessary to book.' (using 'don't have to')
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4 · Match the prefixed word to its meaning
- misinterpretdrop or tap here…
- overratedrop or tap here…
- underestimatedrop or tap here…
- disprovedrop or tap here…
- antisocialdrop or tap here…
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5 · Podcast · The rules I quietly break
Listen to an English woman in her thirties reflecting, on a podcast, on the small unspoken rules she has been quietly breaking at work.
📄 Show transcript
Speaker: So, I was thinking about those unspoken rules at work, you know, the ones that nobody actually writes down, but everyone just *knows*? There was this one at my old job – I swear, we were all *supposed to* stay until at least six, every single evening. Now, officially, no one was required to; the clock-out time was five-thirty. But if you even *thought* about packing up before six, you’d get these looks, these subtle head shakes… it was entirely enforced by facial expression. And for years, *years*, I bought into it. I really needn’t have done it for so long. Looking back, I think I stayed late because no one had ever actually said out loud that I *could* leave. It was such a silly thing. The day I finally just walked out at six, I remember thinking, “I was allowed to leave, and I finally acted like I was.” Honestly, that ex-manager of ours was quite overrated, mostly because he’d arrive first and leave last, which I now realise just created this culture of pointless presenteeism.
- What unspoken rule is she 'supposed to' follow at work?
- What does she say she 'needn't have' done for so long?
- Which modal does she use for the moment she finally left at six?
- What prefixed word does she use about her ex-manager?
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6 · A short reflection (180–220 words)
Write a short first-person reflection titled: "The unwritten rule I finally broke". Use at least three modal structures (must / be supposed to / be allowed to / ought to / needn't have) and two prefixed words. End with an honest, unheroic decision — nothing motivational.
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