A chocolate cake has vanished from the staff kitchen overnight. The evidence is thin. The accusations are not.
Complete the gaps with a suitable modal expression. There is no word bank: use the clues to decide how certain the speakers really are. More than one answer may be reasonable.
“The box is empty. Somebody (1) ______ eaten the cake.”
“The office cat (2) ______ eaten it. The kitchen was locked, and the cat was outside all night.”
“Alex (3) ______ taken a slice. He was working late, but nobody saw him near the fridge.”
“The cleaner (4) ______ moved the box while cleaning. We should check the recycling bin.”
“There’s chocolate icing on the manager’s sleeve. She (5) ______ know something.”
“Before we put up a ‘WANTED’ poster, perhaps we (6) ______ ask her what happened.”
Extra challenge: Write two conclusions about the cake: one that sounds confident and one that sounds cautious. What evidence would justify each?
