Choose the correct words.
1 I told you this would happen! You should listen /
have listened to me!
2 You ought to / ought not to ignore her advice. She knows
what she’s saying, trust me.
3 I needn’t have bought / didn’t need to buy this dictionary.
There’s an online version for free!
4 You look ill. You would better / had better stay at home
today.
5 I don’t know when her birthday is. I ought to ask /
ought to have asked her last week when I saw her.
6 Why did you leave so soon? You should wait /
should have waited for us!
7 There were no more cheap tickets, so we had to pay /
needn’t have paid the full price.
8 Mike isn’t very good at buying presents, so you
had better don’t ask / had better not ask him for advice.
9 All the prices were reduced, so we didn’t need to spend /
needn’t have spent a lot of money to get what we
wanted.
10 You ought to be / ought to have been more careful with
your money. You always spend it too quickly!

1) The correct word is "should have listened". This phrase is used to express regret for not following someone's advice in the past. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that if the listener had listened to them in the past, the current situation could have been avoided.

2) The correct phrase is "ought not to ignore". This phrase is used to express strong advice or recommendation. In this sentence, the speaker is advising the listener not to ignore the advice of someone else because they trust that person's knowledge and judgment.

3) The correct phrase is "didn't need to buy". This phrase is used to say that something was not necessary in the past. In this sentence, the speaker is expressing that they didn't need to buy the dictionary because there is a free online version available.

4) The correct phrase is "had better stay". This phrase is used to give strong advice or warning about what someone should do in the present or future. In this sentence, the speaker is advising the listener to stay at home because they look ill.

5) The correct phrase is "ought to ask". This phrase is used to express the speaker's opinion or feeling that it is the right thing to do. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that they don't know when her birthday is and they feel that they should ask her about it.

6) The correct phrase is "should have waited". This phrase is used to express regret about not doing something in the past. In this sentence, the speaker is expressing their regret that the person left early instead of waiting for them.

7) The correct phrase is "had to pay". This phrase is used to express that there was no other choice or option available. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that they had to pay the full price because there were no more cheap tickets available.

8) The correct phrase is "had better not ask". This phrase is used to give advice or warning about what someone should not do. In this sentence, the speaker is advising the listener not to ask Mike for advice because he is not good at buying presents.

9) The correct phrase is "didn't need to spend". This phrase is used to say that something was not necessary in the past. In this sentence, the speaker is expressing that they didn't need to spend a lot of money because all the prices were reduced.

10) The correct phrase is "ought to be". This phrase is used to express the speaker's opinion or feeling that it is the right thing to do. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that the person should be more careful with their money because they always spend it too quickly.

Overall, this exercise focuses on the correct usage of modal verbs like "should", "ought to", "had better", and "needn't have". The different options provided in each sentence help to test the student's understanding of the meanings and uses of these modal verbs.