Cristobal Toral

La espera, 2011-13. Oil on canvas, 57 X 70 cm. 

Instructions: Look at the painting carefully and answer the following questions using modal verbs for speculation (must, might, could, can't) and other hypothesis expressions (it seems that, it looks like, perhaps, maybe, etc.).

• Who are these people? What might be their relationship?
• Why are they standing there? What could they be waiting for?
• What might have happened before this scene?
• How do you think they are feeling? Why?
• What could be inside their suitcase?

✅ Example answer:
"They must be a family waiting for something important. Maybe they are emigrants who have left their home behind."

Instructions: Complete the sentences with a logical hypothesis using modal verbs or speculation expressions.

1. If they are carrying a suitcase, they must…
2. They might be standing there because…
3. The background looks dark, so perhaps…
4. If they have been waiting for a long time, they could…
5. The lights in the distance might symbolize…

Instructions: Work in pairs. Imagine you are two people passing by and seeing this scene. Have a conversation discussing your ideas about what is happening. Use modal verbs and speculation phrases.

💬 Example dialogue:
A: Look at that family, they seem lost.
B: Yes, they might be waiting for a train that never arrives.
A: It looks like they have been traveling for a long time.
B: Maybe they have nowhere to go...

Instructions: Write a short story (150-200 words) imagining what happened before and after this scene. Use the past modal verbs (must have, might have, could have, can't have) to express hypotheses about their past.

💡 Example beginning:

"This family must have left their home in a hurry. They might have lost everything and now they are waiting for someone to help them. The night is falling, and they start to wonder if they have made a mistake..."