Modal verb practice in fill in the blank free online exercsies to improve language skills of all students, especially deaf, hard of hearing, ESL, and special needs students

The Case of Geronimo's Headress - Part 1

Who COULD HAVE BEEN, MIGHT HAVE BEEN, WOULD HAVE BEEN?

Type your answers in all the blanks or use the drop down menu. If your answer is wrong, you will see which box needs fixing. If your new answer is right, your score will be raised, but there will still be points deducted. If you really, really, really need to score 100, try all over again :) Good luck!
   be      been      Could      could      have      might      would

Content: with permission from: http://www.justice.gov/usao/briefing_room/ic/artifacts.html

Background Story- Please read before doing exercise   Geronimo was a famous Apache Indian who was known as a great medicine man and spiritual leader. For years, the Apaches, like many Native Americans, fought US troops for the right to remain on their lands. After years involving capture, imprisonment, relocation, and escape, Geronimo was re-captured and imprisoned at Fort Sill, in Oklahoma territory. During this imprisonment, Geronimo was given permission from the War Department to attend a ceremonial farewell of surviving Native American chiefs called "The Last Pow-Wow." During the five day summit in 1907, Geronimo wore a traditional native American costume, moccasins, and an eagle-feathered headdress. On September 3, 1999, 92 years after the Pow-Wow, the FBI received an email complaint from an alert observer that the headdress was being sold on the Internet!
Who was illegally selling this historical headdress of Geronimo's?
In the following passage, fill in the blanks with the correct verbs and find out how this headdress came to be sold on the internet. This exercise will focus on verbs and especially on the Modals might have been, could have been.

it have been another Native American who had attended the Pow-Wow in 1907? Not likely. That person be too old. Besides, it not likely for another Native American to sell an object like this. Buying and selling of such objects would considered sacreligious and wrong.

it someone from the US government who was at Fort Sill? No. The Pow-Wow was held in Collinsville, Indian Territory and was never brought back to Fort Sill.

If you think it might a non-native American at the Pow-Wow, you are getting close to solving the mystery.

A man named Jack Moore was sent to accompany Geronimo to the Pow-Wow. Jack Moore became good friends with Geronimo and after performing in a dance at the Pow-Wow, Geronimo gave his costume, moccasins, and headdress to Moore in appreciation for his loyalty and friendship.

So you think that it was a descendant of Jack Moore's who tried to sell the headdress on the internet in 1999? That's a good guess, but not right.

Years after the Pow-Wow, Jack Moore presented the headdress and costume to the C.W. Deming family of Oklahoma as a thank you for their generosity to the Native American population of Oklahoma. So, it been C.W. Deming who was trying to sell the headdress on the internet? Again, C.W. Deming probably been too old, but you're getting close to the solution.

To continue this mystery, go to Geronimo 2. Simply click on "next exercise" and you'll be there!