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Diagnose a Tech Incident in English: Modal Deduction

B2-C1 Level

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Question 1 of 200 correct so far

Question 1

Complete the incident update.

Every sampled connection received the same expired server certificate. Renewing it restored service immediately. The certificate (be) the cause of the failures.

Grammar review

When a service fails, you may know some facts without knowing the cause. Your English should show that difference. Use must for a strong conclusion from evidence, can't when the evidence rules something out, and may, might or could when a cause is still possible.

Check whether you are discussing the situation now or a completed event: a past deduction needs have plus a past participle. Several possibility modals can be equally natural, and this exercise accepts them where the evidence does not choose just one. The aim is to report what the evidence supports, without sounding more certain than you are.

How certain is the cause?

Strong conclusion: must | Ruled out: cannot | Still possible: may, might or could; add have + past participle for a past cause

1.The error appears on every request, so it must be in the shared service.
2.That change can't be the cause; it has not been deployed yet.
3.The timeout might have started after the network change.

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💡 Tips for Success

•Separate a strong inference from a possibility that still needs checking.
•Use the surrounding evidence to decide whether the conclusion concerns now or an earlier event.
•When several causes remain plausible, choose a form that reports uncertainty rather than certainty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are may, might and could all accepted?

When the context only says that a cause is possible, yes. If the evidence supports a stronger conclusion or rules a cause out, choose a form that matches that stronger meaning.

How do I discuss a possible past cause?

Use a modal followed by have and a past participle: “The update might have caused the delay.” The same evidence test still matters: possibility is different from certainty.