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Modal Verbs of Obligation

This document discusses modal verbs of obligation in English, including how to express obligation using "have to", "must", and "should". It provides the positive and negative forms of these modal verbs in both the present and past tense, and explains the differences between modal verbs like "mustn't" and "don't have to". Examples are given for each modal verb of obligation.

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H DA FAMOZINHO
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360 views1 page

Modal Verbs of Obligation

This document discusses modal verbs of obligation in English, including how to express obligation using "have to", "must", and "should". It provides the positive and negative forms of these modal verbs in both the present and past tense, and explains the differences between modal verbs like "mustn't" and "don't have to". Examples are given for each modal verb of obligation.

Uploaded by

H DA FAMOZINHO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modal Verbs of Obligation Welcome to


Perfect English Grammar!

Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs

We can use have to + infinitive, must + infinitive and should + infinitive to express obligation (something
you have to do).

Present Positive Negative

have to / strong obligation (possibly from outside) no obligation


don't have to
Children have to go to school. I don't have to work on Sundays.
Welcome! I'm Seonaid and I hope you like the
(sometimes 'have got to') website. Please contact me if you have any
You don't have to eat anything you
don't like. questions or comments.

must / mustn't strong obligation (possibly based on the negative obligation


speaker's opinion)
You mustn't smoke here. Speak and write
I must study today. more correct, more
beautiful English
should / shouldn't mild obligation or advice mild negative obligation or advice
Join my newsletter and get my
You should save some money. You shouldn't smoke so much.
new lessons by email

Be careful about the difference between mustn't and don't have to! (also get my free tenses PDFs
Mustn't means it's not allowed, or it's a bad idea: when you join)

You mustn't eat so much chocolate, you'll be sick


Your email address
Don't have to means you don't need to do something, but it's fine if you want to do it:

I don't have to get up early at the weekend(of course, if I want to get up early, that's fine, but I can stay Please choose your English level
in bed if I want).

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Past Positive Negative

had to / didn't have obligation in the past no obligation in the past Privacy policy here. We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe
to at any time.
I had to wear a school uniform We didn't have to go to school on
when I was a child. Saturdays.

must* changes to 'had to' -

should have + pp / a past action which didn't happen: the


a past action which didn't happen: the
shouldn't have + pp advice / regret is too late
advice / regret is too late
You should have gone to bed
You shouldn't have taken that job., it
earlier, now you have missed the
was a bad idea.
train.

* Remember 'must have done' is a modal verb of deduction or speculation, not obligation in the past. For
example: Julie must have left. Her coat's not here. See modals of probabilty for more information.

Click here for modal verbs of obligation exercise 1


Click here for all the modal verbs exercises

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