MUST OR HAVE TO

We can use 'must' to show that we are certain something is true. We are making a logical deduction based upon
some clear evidence or reason.

There's no heating on. You must be freezing.

You must be worried that she is so late coming home.
I can't remember what I did with it. I must be getting old.
It must be nice to live in Florida.

We also use 'must' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'must' this usually means that some personal
circumstance makes the obligation necessary (and the speaker almost certainly agrees with the obligation.)

I must go to bed earlier.

They must do something about it.
You must come and see us some time.
I must say, I don't think you were very nice to him.

We can also use 'have to' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'have to' this usually means that some
external circumstance makes the obligation necessary.

I have to arrive at work at 9 sharp. My boss is very strict.

We have to give him our answer today or lose out on the contract.
You have to pass your exams or the university will not accept you.
I have to send a report to Head Office every week.

In British English, we often use 'have got to' to mean the same as 'have to'.

I've got to take this book back to the library or I'll get a fine.
We've got to finish now as somebody else needs this room.

We can also use ' will have to' to talk about strong obligations. Like 'must' this usually means that some personal
circumstance makes the obligation necessary. (Remember that 'will' is often used to show 'willingness'.)

I'll have to speak to him.

We'll have to have lunch and catch up on all the gossip.
They'll have to do something about it.
I'll have to get back to you on that.

As you can see, the differences between the present forms are sometimes very small and very subtle. However,
there is a huge difference in the negative forms.

We use 'mustn't' to express strong obligations NOT to do something.

We mustn't talk about it. It's confidential.

I mustn't eat chocolate. It's bad for me.
You mustn't phone me at work. We aren't allowed personal calls.
They mustn't see us talking or they'll suspect something.

We use 'don't have to' (or 'haven't got to' in British English) to state that there is NO obligation or necessity.

We don't have to get there on time. The boss is away today.

I don't have to listen to this. I'm leaving.
You don't have to come if you don't want to.
He doesn't have to sign anything if he doesn't want to at this stage.
I haven't got to go. Only if I want to.
 MUST OR HAVE TO

SHOULD

We use 'should' for giving advice.

You should speak to him about it.

You should see a doctor.
You should ask a lawyer.

We use 'should' to give an opinion or a recommendation.

We should invest more in China.

They should do something about this terrible train service.
He should resign.

'Should' expresses a personal opinion and is much weaker and more personal than 'must' or 'have to'. It is often
introduced by ' I think'.

I think they should replace him.

I don't think they should keep the contract.
Do you think I should tell her?

I. Right / Wrong

1. You mustnt tell anyone. Its confidential. Right / Wrong

2. You dont have to drink that .Its poisonous. Right / Wrong

3. You dont have to make any mistakes in the report Right / Wrong

4. You mustnt drive on the right in U.K. Right / Wrong

5. You mustnt give blood if youre not feeling well. Right / Wrong

6. You dont have to call at 3 am. Ill be sleeping. Right / Wrong

7. You dont have to mix those two solutions theyll explode. Right / Wrong

8. You mustnt park here. Its for permit holders only. Right / Wrong

9. You mustnt steal. Its against the law. Right / Wrong

10. You dont have to be late again or youll get fired Right / Wrong
 MUST OR HAVE TO

II. Complete the sentences with a form of have to, must or should. Make the verbs negative
when necessary.

1. Your clothes smell, and you have a cough. You ___________ smoke.
2. I __________ to tell my parents where I am, then they dont worry.
3. My bedrooms a real mess. I _____ clean a little bit.
4. If you need some help with your homework, you _________go to the library.
5. Our train leaves in two minutes we ________ hurry up.
6. You ________ tell lies. Its wrong.
7. Peter is in the hospital. I ________ visit him.
8. You _________ come with me if you dont want to. Ill go on my own.
9. Theres a new restaurant that open in town. You ________ go and try sushi.
10. Gary works too much. I think he ________ take it easy.

III. Give an advice to these people. Use I think should or I dont think should. One in
affirmative and one in negative.

1. Tony and Jenny are only 16, but they say they want to get married.
_____________________________________________________________
2. My children spend all their money on candies.
_____________________________________________________________
3. Anns phone bill was enormous $300 dollars.
_____________________________________________________________
4. Ive lost my checkbook and credit cards.
_____________________________________________________________
5. There is a hole in my shoes and I bought them just a week ago.
_____________________________________________________________

Complete the sentences using MUST OR HAVE TO. Negative and past forms are also used in this
exercise. Some gaps may have more than one correct answer.

1. I __________ be at the meeting by 10:00. I will probably _________take a taxi if I want to be on time.

2. You __________ submit the application if it has not been completely filled out. Check that the name, address,
and background information are correct. If the form is not accurate and complete, you will be rejected and you
will ___________ reapply at a later date.

3. Tina: Look at these flowers - they're beautiful! But, there's no card. Who could have sent them?
Stephanie: It __________ have been David. He's the only one who would send you flowers.

4. You __________ forget to pay the rent tomorrow. The landlord is very strict about paying on time.

5. You __________ be so rude! Why don't you try saying "please" once in a while.

6. If you are over 18 in California, you _________ take a driver training course to get a driver's license. You can
have a friend or a family member teach you instead. But remember, you __________ still get your permit before
you start practicing.

7. You _______ be rich to be a success. Some of the most successful people I know haven't got a penny to their
name.

8. Ed: My car broke down in Death Valley last week. I _________ have it towed more than a hundred miles to
the nearest mechanic.
Lilly: That __________ have cost a fortune!
 MUST OR HAVE TO
9. While hiking in Alaska, you _________ keep an eye out for bears. If you see one, you ___________ approach
it. They are beautiful animals; however, they are wild and unpredictable in nature. You _______ be afraid of
them, but educating yourself about the dangers can help keep you safe.

10. I ________ go to work tomorrow because it is Memorial Day. The best thing about a day off from work is
that I __________ get up at 6:00; I can sleep in till noon if I want to.

11. Yesterday, I _________ cram all day for my French final. I didn't get to sleep until after midnight.

12. Nate: Oh no! I completely forgot we were supposed to pick Jenny up at the airport.
Barbara: She __________ still be sitting there waiting for us.

13. Ingrid received a scholarship to Yale University which will cover 100% of the tuition. She_________ worry at
all about the increasing cost of education.

14. When I was a child my grandmother was continually correcting our manners. She always used to say, "One
___________ eat with one's mouth open." Or, she would correct us by saying, "One _________ rest one's
elbows on the table." And every time I wanted to leave the table, she would say, "One _______ ask to be
excused."

15. I've redone this math problem at least twenty times, but my answer is wrong according to the answer key.
The answer in the book __________ be wrong!

I. Decide if each sentence is: an offer / request / ability / obligation / advice / lack of obligation /
prohibition / possibility

1. I couldnt come earlier. I had a problem. __________________________

2. Would you help me with this report? __________________________
3. She doesnt have to rewrite her paper. __________________________
4. You should invest in this business. __________________________
5. They must meet the deadline today. __________________________
6. Would you like to visit our head office? __________________________
7. You mustnt spend the budget in his project. __________________________
8. Can you come later, please? __________________________
9. We need to finish here by 4 pm. __________________________
10 She could type 300 words per minute. __________________________

II. Write COULD / WOULD / SHOULD in the blank spaces. (40 points)

1. I think you _________ talk to the manager. This cant happen again.
2. They ___________nt finish on time yesterday
3. ___________ you like to send me your CV?
4. He _________ advertise more if he wants to sell his products.
5. ___________ you explain the graphic again, please?
6. I dont think the solutions ____________ be presented in the congress.
7. ___________ you like to go with me?
8. I ___________ like to work for a multinational as Nestle.
9. ___________ he close the deal with the new investors?
10. If you want to be in good condition you __________practice a sport.

III. Which of the following sentences are requests, offers or advice? (10 points)

1. Could I have another cup of coffee, please? ________

2. He should work harder for the bonus ________
3. Would you like to meet me at 8 pm? ________
4. Could you help the secretary with those boxes? ________
5. Can I bring you some coffee? ________
 MUST OR HAVE TO

ANSWER SHEET

1. I must be at the meeting by 10:00. I will probably have to take a taxi if I want to be on time.

2. You must not submit the application if it has not been completely filled out. Check that the name, address,
and background information are correct. If the form is not accurate and complete, you will be rejected and you
will have to reapply at a later date.

3. Tina: Look at these flowers - they're beautiful! But, there's no card. Who could have sent them?
Stephanie: It must have been David. He's the only one who would send you flowers.

4. You must not forget to pay the rent tomorrow. The landlord is very strict about paying on time.

5. You do not have to be so rude! Why don't you try saying "please" once in a while.

6. If you are over 18 in California, you do not have to take a driver training course to get a driver's license. You
can have a friend or a family member teach you instead. But remember, you must still get your permit before
you start practicing.

7. You do not have to be rich to be a success. Some of the most successful people I know haven't got a penny
to their name.

8. Ed: My car broke down in Death Valley last week. I had to have it towed more than a hundred miles to the
nearest mechanic.
Lilly: That must have cost a fortune!

9. While hiking in Alaska, you must keep an eye out for bears. If you see one, you must not approach it. They
are beautiful animals; however, they are wild and unpredictable in nature. You do not have to be afraid of
them, but educating yourself about the dangers can help keep you safe.

10. I do not have to go to work tomorrow because it is Memorial Day. The best thing about a day off from work
is that I do not have to get up at 6:00; I can sleep in till noon if I want to.

11. Yesterday, I had to cram all day for my French final. I didn't get to sleep until after midnight.

12. Nate: Oh no! I completely forgot we were supposed to pick Jenny up at the airport.
Barbara: She must still be sitting there waiting for us.

13. Ingrid received a scholarship to Yale University which will cover 100% of the tuition. She does not have to
worry at all about the increasing cost of education.

14. When I was a child my grandmother was continually correcting our manners. She always used to say, "One
must not eat with one's mouth open." Or, she would correct us by saying, "One must not rest one's elbows on
the table." And every time I wanted to leave the table, she would say, "One must ask to be excused."

15. I've redone this math problem at least twenty times, but my answer is wrong according to the answer key.
The answer in the book must be wrong!
 MUST OR HAVE TO
I. Making logical conclusions: MUST and MUST NOT.

Directions: Complete the dialogues with must or must not.

1. A: Did you offer our guests something to drink?

B: Yes, but they didn't want anything. They must not be thirsty.

2. A: You've been out here working in the hot sun for hours. You must be thirsty.

B: I am.

3. A: Adam has already eaten one sandwich. Now he's making another.

B: He _____________ be hungry.

4. A: I offered Holly something to eat, but she doesn't want anything.

B: She _____________ be hungry.

5. A: Brian has a red nose and has been coughing and sneezing.

B: Poor fellow. He _________________ have a cold.

6. A. Fido? What's wrong, old boy?

B: What's the matter with the dog?

A: He won't eat.

B: He _____________ feel well.

7. A: Erica's really bright. She always gets above ninety-five percent on her math tests.

B: I'm sure she's bright, but she __________________ also study a lot.

8. A: I've called the bank three times, but no one answers the phone. The bank

_____________ be open today. That's strange.

B: Today's a holiday, remember?

A: Oh, of course!

9. A: Listen. Someone is jumping on the floor in the apartment above us. Look. Your

chandelier is shaking.

B: Mr. Silverberg _________________ be doing his morning exercises. The same thing happens
every morning.
 MUST OR HAVE TO
II. Lack of necessity (DO NOT HAVE TO) and prohibition (MUST NOT).

Directions: Complete the sentences with don't l doesn't have to or must not.

1. You must not drive when you are tired. It's dangerous.

2. I live only a few blocks from my office. I don't have to drive to work.

3. Liz finally got a car, so now she usually drives to work. She _______________ take the bus.

4. Tommy, you ________________ say that word. It's not a nice word.

5. Mr. Moneybags is very rich. He _________________ work for a living.

6. A: You _________________ tell Jim about the surprise birthday party. Do you promise?

B: I promise.

7. According to the rules of the game, one player ___________________ hit or trip another
player.

8. If you use a toll-free number, you ________________ pay for the phone call.

9. A: Did Professor Adams make an assignment?

B: Yes, she assigned Chapters 4 and 6, but we read _________________ Chapter 5.

10. A: Listen carefully, Annie. If a stranger offers you a ride, you __________________
get in the car. Never get in a car with a stranger. Do you understand?
B: Yes, Mom.

12. A: Children, your mother and I are going out this evening. I want you to be good. You must do
everything the baby-sitter tells you to do. You _____________________ go outside after dark. It's
Saturday night, so you _____________________ go to bed at eight. You can stay up until eight-
thirty. And remember: you _____________________ pull the cat's tail. Okay?

B: Okay, Dad.