Level: High Intermediate and Advanced
Pair with the Songs:
“No Excuses” (Meghan Trainor, 2018)
“The Day Before You Came” (ABBA, 1992)
Recommended Videos:
“No Excuses”: the informal performance with three singers and guitarist
“The Day Before You Came”: the official music video Caution: This video has romantic scenes that may not be appropriate for your class. Previewing is advised.

Meghan Trainor says the song “No Excuses,” is about respect: “I don’t disrespect you—don’t you disrespect me,” she sings. The line “You must have confused me with someone else” is repeated many times. “The Day Before You Came” repeats the construction must have + past participle throughout the song and uses many different past participles. The worksheet below targets the construction must have + past participle to describe past actions that almost certainly happened. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
Note: Before students listen to “No Excuses,” you might say, “Read the first verse of the song. The grammar is not correct because the singer leaves out a word. What is the missing word?” (It’s “are.”)

What _____ you sippin’ on that got you talking crazy?
Lookin’ at me sideways, always coming at me
Why _____ you, why _____ you acting hard when you _____ just a baby?
Boy, I keep it real with you, but you _____ trying to play me

must have.docx          must have.pdf          must have (webpage)

Preview:

Must Have + Past Participle

A.  Read the sentences under the photo.

We left three pieces of chocolate on the table, and now they’re gone.
Somebody must have eaten them.

Use must have + past participle for past events that almost certainly happened.

B.  Write a response to each statement. (There can be more than one correct response.) Each response should include this grammatical form: must have + past participle.

1. When we walked out of the theater after the movie, the sidewalks were wet.
It must have rained while we were in the theater.
2. She came back from the ski trip with her arm in a cast.
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3. We thought the festival ended at 10 p.m., but when we got there at 9, everybody was leaving.
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4. It was raining when he went to the restaurant, but it wasn’t raining when he went home. Now he can’t find his umbrella.
_________________________________________________________________
5. I thought the man who was selling scarves said the scarf was $40, but when I walked away, he said, “OK, then $13.”
_________________________________________________________________
6. When she arrived at her surprise birthday party, she didn’t seem surprised at all.
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7. We left the cat alone in our apartment. When we got home, the vase was in pieces on the floor.
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C.  Read the statements and responses aloud with a partner.

Some possible answers:
2. She must have broken her arm while skiing. / She must have fallen while skiing.
3. The festival must have ended at 9 p.m.
4. He must have left his umbrella at the restaurant. / He must have forgotten his umbrella at the
restaurant.
5. The man must have said the scarf was $14. / I must have misunderstood the man / I must have
misunderstood the price.
6. Someone must have told her about the surprise party. / She must have suspected it was a
surprise party.
7. The cat must have knocked the vase onto the floor. / The cat must have broken the vase.

Copyright © 2018 Sandra Heyer. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
Photo: Copyright © Okea | Dreamstime. Used by permission.