DrillKit is an AI-powered tool that turns your online lesson chat from Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams into professional, print-ready ESL lessons in under 30 seconds. It automatically extracts vocabulary, generates exercises (gap-fill, error correction, vocab match, word formation, and more), and produces beautiful PDFs tailored to the student's CEFR level and native language.

Does DrillKit support Zoom chats?

Yes! Simply copy the chat text from your Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams lesson and paste it directly into the input area. You can also paste vocabulary lists or handwritten notes. DrillKit's AI strips out timestamps, sender names, and other noise automatically.

Can I export lessons to PDF?

Absolutely. Every lesson is generated as a high-quality, print-ready PDF. Pro users can also export to Google Docs and customize branding with their school logo and accent colors.

Which languages are supported?

DrillKit supports translations in 11 languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian. The AI auto-detects the student's native language from the chat transcript.

What exercise types can DrillKit generate?

DrillKit generates 11 exercise types: Gap Fill, Vocab Match, Error Correction, Sentence Completion, Multiple Choice, Word Scramble, Sentence Reorder, Translation, Word Formation (Cambridge Part 3), Key Word Transformation (Cambridge Part 4), and Dialogue Builder.

How does the AI extract vocabulary from chat transcripts?

The AI scans your pasted chat transcript, strips out noise (timestamps, reactions, media placeholders), identifies teachable vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and student errors, then scores each item by relevance. You review and select the best items before generating exercises.

Is DrillKit free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes 20 generations per month with full access to all 13 exercise types, all lesson styles, and custom branding. The Pro plan ($4.99/month or $3.33/month billed yearly) unlocks unlimited generations and priority AI processing.

Can I customize the lesson with my school branding?

Pro users can add their school or institution name, choose custom accent colors, select from 5 lesson styles (Standard, Classic, Modern, Playful, Academic), and add footer text to every generated lesson.

Teaching ESL Modal Verbs: Ability, Permission, Obligation & Certainty

The Modal Verb Maze

Modal verbs are deceptively tricky because the same word serves multiple functions. 'Can' expresses ability ('I can swim'), permission ('Can I leave?'), and possibility ('It can get very cold here'). 'Must' expresses obligation ('You must wear a helmet') and logical deduction ('She must be tired — she's been working all day'). For ESL students, untangling these overlapping meanings is like solving a puzzle where the same piece fits in multiple places but means something different each time. The traditional approach of teaching 'can for ability, may for permission, must for obligation' oversimplifies a system where context determines meaning. Teaching modals through communicative functions rather than labels produces far better results.

Teaching Modals by Function

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Ability & Possibility

Can (present), could (past/polite), be able to (all tenses). 'I can drive' vs. 'I could swim when I was 5' vs. 'I'll be able to speak fluent English.' Demonstrate through real ability discussions.

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Obligation & Advice

Must (strong), should (recommendation), have to (external), ought to (formal). Create workplace scenarios: 'You must wear protective equipment' (legal requirement) vs. 'You should take a break' (advice).

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Certainty & Speculation

Must (90% sure: 'She must be at home'), might/could (50%: 'It might rain'), can't (0%: 'That can't be right'). Use mystery photos: students speculate about what's happening using the probability spectrum.

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Teacher Tip

“Show students an ambiguous photo (a person running, carrying a bag, looking behind them). Ask: 'What's happening?' Students must use the full modal spectrum: 'She must be in a hurry' (certainty), 'She might be late for work' (possibility), 'She could be exercising' (weaker possibility), 'She can't be a thief — she's smiling' (impossibility). The photo creates a genuine information gap that modals were designed to fill.”

Frequently Asked Questions

In what order should I teach modal verbs?

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A2: can/can't (ability, permission), must/mustn't (rules), should (advice). B1: could (past ability, polite requests), might (possibility), have to (external obligation). B2: modal perfects (must have been, could have done), ought to, shall. Build from concrete (ability) to abstract (deduction).

What is the difference between must and have to?

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'Must' implies internal obligation or authority ('I must finish this report — I'll feel guilty otherwise'). 'Have to' implies external obligation ('I have to finish this report — my boss said so'). In practice, native speakers use them interchangeably in positive sentences, but in negative: 'mustn't' = prohibition ('You mustn't steal'), 'don't have to' = no obligation ('You don't have to come').

How do I teach modal verbs for speculation?

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Use visual stimuli (photos, video stills) that are ambiguous. Students must explain what they think is happening using graduated certainty: must be (very sure), might/could be (possible), can't be (impossible). This makes abstract grammar concrete and visual.

Teaching Modal Verbs: Can, Could, Should, Might, Must — and When to Use Each