📝 Daily Practice
🎯 Lesson Goal
This lesson will help you understand how to use the modals must, might, could, and can’t to talk about online privacy. You will learn how to express certainty, possibility, and impossibility when discussing security risks and data protection in an online context.
🧠 Grammar Focus
Modals of deduction are used to show how sure we are about something. We use must when we are almost 100% sure something is true. Might and could show a possibility but less certainty. Can’t means we are sure something is impossible. For example, when discussing online privacy, you might say ‘Your data must be protected’ if you are confident, or ‘It could be hacked’ to suggest a possibility. The basic structure is modal + base verb, like ‘must be’ or ‘might have’. These modals help us make guesses or assumptions based on evidence or experience in work, study, or everyday life. For instance, ‘He must use strong passwords’, ‘They might track your location’, or ‘It can’t be safe to share passwords.’
📖 Short Reading
Alex recently changed his online privacy settings because he is worried about data theft. He thinks someone must have tried to access his accounts because strange emails appeared in his inbox. Alex knows that hackers might target weak passwords, so he always uses complex ones. However, he also believes his computer could be infected with malware, although he isn’t sure. On the other hand, he is certain it can’t be a virus because he uses antivirus software. Alex understands that online privacy is important and that companies must protect users’ information. Still, he knows that security breaches might happen, and users should stay cautious.
✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1. Someone ____ have tried to access my account because I saw suspicious activity. (must / might / should)
2. Your device ____ be infected with a virus if you don’t use antivirus software. (must / can’t / might)
3. He ____ have forgotten his password; otherwise, he would log in easily. (could / must / can’t)
4. It ____ be a phishing email because it looks very official. (might / could / must)
5. They ____ collect your data without permission if you read the terms carefully. (can’t / must / may)
6. Your personal information ____ be secure if the website uses encryption. (must / might / could)
7. That website ____ have malware, so don’t download files from it. (can’t / could / must)
8. You ____ share your password with anyone, even trusted friends. (must / can’t / might)
🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching
1. Must
2. Might
3. Could
4. Can’t
5. Malware
6. Antivirus
7. Privacy settings
8. Hacker
✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1. If someone accesses your account without permission, what ____ have happened? (must / should / can’t)
2. Your phone ____ be lost because it’s on silent and you can’t find it. (might / must / can’t)
3. It ____ be a safe website if it doesn’t have HTTPS in the address. (must / might / can’t)
4. They ____ track your location if you don’t allow GPS access. (must / can’t / could)
5. Your data ____ be at risk if you use public Wi-Fi without a VPN. (must / could / can’t)
6. You ____ protect your privacy by using strong passwords. (must / might / could)
7. If you see strange emails, they ____ be a sign of hacking. (might / must / can’t)
8. Someone ____ have changed your privacy settings without your knowledge. (must / can’t / could)
📝 Writing Practice
1. Write 3–5 sentences explaining your opinion about why online privacy must be protected. Include what risks might happen if people are not careful about their data.
📚 Key Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| privacy | the state of being safe from public attention |
| deduction | conclusion based on reasoning |
| possibility | something that might happen |
| certainty | being sure about something |
| malware | software that harms computers |
| hacker | a person who tries to access computers without permission |
| password | a secret word for access |
| infected | contaminated by a virus or harmful program |
| security breach | an attack that breaks privacy rules |
| cautious | careful to avoid danger |
| antivirus | software that stops viruses |
| settings | options or controls on devices |
| track | follow or watch |
| accounts | online profiles with personal information |
🔎 Answer Key
- exercise_1_fill_blanks: 1.must 2.might 3.must 4.might 5.can’t 6.must 7.could 8.can’t
- exercise_2_matching: 1.Must – Expresses a strong certainty 2.Might – Shows a possibility 3.Could – Suggests something is possible but uncertain 4.Can’t – Indicates something is impossible 5.Malware – Software that damages computers 6.Antivirus – Protects against viruses 7.Privacy settings – Controls to protect your information 8.Hacker – Person who tries to steal data
- exercise_3_multiple_choice: 1.must 2.might 3.can’t 4.can’t 5.could 6.must 7.might 8.could
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