Write a second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the words in brackets

1. Perhaps Mary is doing overtime. (may)

________________________________________________________________________

2. I managed to go to university. (able)

________________________________________________________________________

3. It’s impossible for you to see it at this distance. (can’t)

________________________________________________________________________

4. It is possible that Anne did not see the message. (might)

________________________________________________________________________

5. She was able to play the piano when she was only four. (could)

________________________________________________________________________

Unit 9. Modals: must, have to, need, should

Must and can't

Study this example:

We use must to say that we feel sure something is true:

You've been travelling all day. You must be tired. (Travelling is tiring and you've been travelling all day, so you must be tired.)

'Jim is a hard worker.' 'Jim? A hard worker? You must be joking. He's very lazy.'

Carol must get very bored in her job. She does the same thing every day.

We use can't to say that we feel sure something is not possible:

Peter has just had lunch. He can't be hungry already.

(People are not normally hungry just after eating a meal. Peter has just eaten, so he can't be hungry.)

Must and have to

We use must and have to to say that it is necessary to do something. Sometimes it doesn't matter which you use:

Oh, it's later than I thought. I must go. or I have to go.

But there is a difference between must and have to and sometimes this is important.

Must is personal. We use must when we give our personal feelings.

'You must do something' = 'I (the speaker) say it is necessary':

She's a really nice person. You must meet her. (= I say this is necessary)

I haven't phoned Ann for ages. I must phone her tonight.

Compare:

I must get up early tomorrow. There are a lot of things I want to do.

Have to is impersonal. We use have to for facts, not for our personal feelings.

'You have to do something' because of a rule or the situation:

You can't turn right here. You have to turn left. (because of the traffic system).

My eyesight isn't very good. I have to wear glasses for reading.

George can't come out with us this evening. He has to work.

If you are not sure which to use, it is usually safer to use have to.

You can use must to talk about the present or future, but not the past:

We must go now.

We must go tomorrow. (but not 'We must go yesterday').

You can use have to in all forms:

I had to go to hospital. (past)

Have you ever had to go to hospital? (present perfect)

In questions and negative sentences with have to, we normally use do/does/did:

What do I have to do to get a driving license? (not 'What have I to do?')

Why did you have to go to hospital?

Karen doesn't have to work on Saturdays.

Mustn't and don't have to are completely different:

You mustn't do something = it is necessary that you do not do it (so, don't do it):

You must keep it a secret. You mustn't tell anyone. (= don't tell anyone)

I promised I would be on time. I mustn't be late. (= I must be on time)

You don't have to do something = you don't need to do it (but you can if you want):

You can tell me if you want but you don't have to tell me. (= you don't need to tell me)

I'm not working tomorrow, so I don't have to get up early.

You can use 'have got to' instead of 'have to'. So you can say:

I've got to work tomorrow. or have to work tomorrow.

When has Ann got to go? or When does Ann have to go?

Needn't

'You needn't do something' = it is not necessary that you do it, you don't need to do it:

You can come with me if you like but you needn't come if you don't want to. (= it is not necessary for you to come)

We've got plenty of time. We needn't hurry. (= it is not necessary to hurry).

Instead of needn't, you can use don't/doesn't need to:

We needn't hurry. or We don't need to hurry.

Remember that we say 'don't need to do', but 'needn't do' (without to).

Needn't and don't need to are similar to don't have to:

We've got plenty of time. We don't have to hurry.

Should

You should do something = it is a good thing to do or the right thing to do.

You can use should to give advice or to give an opinion:

You look tired. You should go to bed.

The government should do more to help homeless people.

'Should we invite Susan to the party?' 'Yes, I think we should.'

We often use should with I think/I don't think/Do you think...?:

I think the government should do more to help homeless people.

I don't think you should work so hard.

'You shouldn't do something' = it isn't a good thing to do:

You shouldn't believe everything you read in the newspapers.

Should is not as strong as must:

You should apologise. (= it would be a good thing to do)

You must apologise. (= you have no alternative)

We also use should when something is not right or what we expect:

I wonder where Liz is. She should be here by now. (= she isn't here yet, and this is not normal)

The price on this packet is wrong. It should be L1.20, not L1.50.

Those boys shouldn't be playing football at this time. They should be at school.

We use should to say that we expect something to happen:

She's been studying hard for the exam, so she should pass. (= I expect her to pass)

There are plenty of hotels in the town. It shouldn't be difficult to find somewhere to stay. (= I don't expect that it will be difficult).

You can use should after a number of verbs, especially:

suggest propose recommend insist demand

They insisted that we should have dinner with them.

I demanded that he should apologise.

What do you suggest I should do?

In the same way, you can use should after suggestion/proposal/recommendation, etc.

What do you think of Jane's suggestion that I should buy a car?

and also after 'it's important/vital/necessary/essential that... '

It's essential that you should be here on time.

You can use should after a number of adjectives, especially:

strange odd funny typical natural interesting surprised surprising

It's strange that he should be late. He's usually on time.

I was surprised that she should say such a thing.

Ought to

You can use ought to instead of should in the following sentence:

Do you think I ought to apply for this job? (= Do you think I should apply...?)

Jack ought not to go to bed so late. (= Jack shouldn't go...)

It was a great party last night. You ought to have come.

She's been studying hard for the exam, so she ought to pass.

We use ought to to talk about a social, traditional rule. It expresses moral obligation.

While should indicates a suggestion, an advice, a recommendation.

Let’s Practice

1 Fill in MUST or MUSTN’T.

1. It’s cold. You ……………………….. leave without your jacket.

2. You …………………. eat fruit and vegetables to stay healthy.

3. I ……………………… go to the post office. I have a letter to send.

4. You ……………………….. speak rudely to your parents.

5. You ……………………….. park here – it’s illegal.

6. We ………………………. hurry or we’ll miss the bus.

2 Fill in the blanks with CAN / CAN’T or MUST / MUSTN’T.

1. She is ill, so she ………………………. see the doctor.

2. It’s raining heavily. You …………………… take your umbrella.

3. We ………………………………. (not / pick) the flowers in the park.

4. Mike is nine months old. He ……………………………… (not / eat) nuts.

5. I am very tall. So I …………………… play basketball.

6. I’m sorry but we …………………………………………. (not / come) to your party tomorrow.

7. You are speaking very quietly. I ………………………………….. (not / understand) you.

8. …………………….. I use your phone?

9. We …………………….. go to the bank today. We haven’t got any money.

10. My hands are dirty. I ……………………….. wash them.

11. It’s late. I …………………………. go now.

12. You ………………….. stop at a red traffic light.

13. You ………………………………….. (not / speed) in the city.

14. Tourists ……………………… take their passports when they go abroad.

15. Footballers …………………………………….. (not / touch) the ball with their hands.

16. ……………………… you play the guitar?

17. I ……………………………………… (not / come) with you now. Because I’m studying my lessons.

3 Fill in the blanks using proper Have To structure and match the examples with the pictures.

a) I work in an office. I __________________(send) emails and offers to all our clients.

b) My employee _________________(prepare) all the delicious dishes for the guest from foreign countries.

c) She ____________________(take care) of children when their parents aren’t at home.

d) Her uncle is always on the move. He __________________(deliver) all the letters on time.

e)There’s a lot of crime on the streets and he ___________________(protect) good people from the bad ones.

f) He _____________________(drive) children to school every morning.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Now, write what they have to do:

Doctor _____________________________________________________________________________

Stewardess _________________________________________________________________________

Lawyer _____________________________________________________________________________

Footballer ___________________________________________________________________________

Singer ______________________________________________________________________________

Teacher _____________________________________________________________________________

4 Use MUST / MUSTN’T / HAVE TO or (NOT) HAVE TO.

1. I can stay in bed tomorrow morning because I ………………………………………work.

2. Whatever you do, you ……………………. touch that switch. It’s very dangerous.

3. You ………………….. forget what I told you. It’s very important.

4. We ………………………………….. leave yet. We’ve got plenty of time.

5. Ann was feeling ill last night. She ………………………. leave the party early.

6. I ……………………….. go to the bank yesterday to get some money.

7. The windows are very dirty. I …………………….. clean them.

8. The windows aren’t dirty. You ………………………………… clean them.

9. We arrived home very late last night. We …………………….. wait half an hour for a taxi.

10. These cakes are very nice. You …………………… have one.

11. We ………………………………….. take an umbrella. It’s not going to rain.

12. This is a secret. You ……………………………… tell anybody.

13. You ……………………………….. buy a newspaper. You can have mine.

14. This train doesn’t go to London. You …………………………… change at Bristol.

15. In many countries men ……………………………… do military service.

16. Sarah is a nurse. Sometimes she ………………………… work at weekends.

5 Fill in the blanks using (NOT) HAVE TO / MUST (NOT) / CAN / COULD:

1. George has traveled a lot. He ……………………… speak four languages.

2. I can’t sing now but I ………………….. sing very well when I was a child.

3. She will stay in bed till 10 o’clock this morning. Because she …………………………..

go to work.

4. Many students in Turkey ………………………… wear uniform when they go to school.

5. I’m sorry I couldn’t come yesterday. I ……………………….. work late.

6. You’ve been coughing a lot recently. You ……………………….. smoke so much.

7. You have a bad headache. So you ………………………. go to bed early.

8. I can’t swim very far these days but ten years ago I ………………………. swim from one side of the lake to the other.

9. You ……………….. see the sea from our bedroom window.

10. It isn’t permitted to speak Turkish during the lessons. So you …………………… speak Turkish.

6 Put an asterisk (*) for what you MUST, MUSTN’T or NEEDN’T do and then write them down as in the examples.

	MUST	MUSTN’T	NEEDN’T
tidy your room
cheat on the exams
do your homework regularly
listen to the teacher
visit the teacher
run in the halls
talk during the test
wake up early at weekends
get to class late
wash your hand before meal
wear a tie at the parties

1. …. I must tidy my room. ………………………………………………..

2. …. I mustn’t cheat on the exams. ………………………………….…

3. ………………………………………………………………………………

4. ………………………………………………………………………………

5. ………………………………………………………………………………

6. ………………………………………………………………………………

7. ……………………………………………………………………………...

8. ………………………………………………………………………………

9. ………………………………………………………………………………

10. ………………………………………………………………………………

7 Fill in the blanks with MUST (NOT) / CAN (NOT) / (NOT) HAVE TO / NEEDN’T.

1. You ………………….. park in that street. It is not permitted.

2. Look at George. He is working very well. He ………………… be ill.

3. There’s someone at the door. I’m expecting Paul. It ………………….. be Paul.

4. Ali’s car is here. He …………………. be here.

5. The baby is asleep. You ……………………….. shout.

6. You’ve got plenty of time. You …………………………….. hurry.

7. A: “Do you want me to wait for you?”

B: “No, it’s OK. You …………………………….. wait.”

8. I can’t get any answer from my telephone. It ………………….. be out of order.

9. Ann stayed in bed this morning because she ……………………………….. go to work.

10. Tom has just given me a letter to post. I …………………. forget to post it.

8 Read the situations and write sentences with I think/I don't think... should...

1. Peter and Judy are planning to get married. You think it's a bad idea. (get married) _I don't think they should get married. ………………….

2. You don't like smoking, especially in restaurants. (be banned) I think ………………….

3. I have a very bad cold but I plan to go out this evening. You don't think this is a good idea. You say to me: (go out) ………………….

4. You are fed up with the government. You think they have made too many mistakes. (resign) ………………….

9 Are these sentences right or wrong?

1. a Tom suggested that I should look for another job. RIGHT

b Tom suggested that I look for another job. ………………….

c Tom suggested that I looked for another job. ………………

d Tom suggested me to look for another job. …………………

2. a Where do you suggest I go for my holiday? …………….

b Where do you suggest me to go for my holiday? …………

c Where do you suggest I should go for my holiday? ………

10 Complete the sentences using should + one of these verbs.

ask be leave listen say worry

1. It's strange that she _ should be _ late. She's usually on time.

2. It's funny that you …………….that. I was going to say the same thing.

3. It's only natural that parents …………….about their children.

4. Isn't it typical of Ron that he …………….without saying goodbye to anybody?

5. I was surprised that he …………….me for advice. What advice could I give him?

6. It's very important that everybody …………….very carefully.

11 Use a suitable present or past MODAL AUXILIARY.

1. I can’t find my book. I ……………………………………………….. (leave) it on the bus.

2. They don’t answer their phone; they ……………………………………… (go) away on their vacation.

3. John went to the movies last night, but he ……………………………………….. (stay) at home and …………………………….. (prepare) his lessons.

4. The lights have gone out. A fuse ……………………………………. (blow).

5. She …………………………………. (go) to school. It’s Saturday.

6. You were stupid to go skiing here. You …………………………………………… (break) your leg.

7. She ……………………. (sing) like an angel when she was a kid.

8. ……………………….. I make a suggestion?

9. You ……………………… go and see “Batman”. It’s a great film.

10. He came home alone. You ………………………………………… (let) him do that; he ……………………………………… (get) lost.

11. He read the message but he ………………………………….. (not) understand.

12. I …………………………………………. (lend) you the money. Why didn’t you ask me?

13. A: Can I have some sweets? I am hungry.

B: You ………………….. hungry. You have just had dinner.

14. Tom ……………………………………. (write) this, because it is in French and he doesn’t know French.

15. He looked so tired. He ………………………………………………….. (work) very hard.

16. He …………………………. be a very clever boy. He has entered the university very easily.

12 Role-play giving Advice. Use modal verbs.

Student A: a psychologist.

Student B: a client asking for advice

Problems of clients are given below. The ‘client’ should explain their problem and ask for advice, while the psychologist will try to give some advice.

You are 18 years old. Your boyfriend, who you have been dating for 2 weeks, has proposed to you. You love him, but you are not sure what to do. You ask for advice …	You’ve got a chance to move to another country for a permanent residence. You can’t decide what to do, because all your relatives live in your home town, you’ve got a great job in here. You ask for advice.
Your parents have got a new job in another country. You don’t want to move, but this is a good opportunity for them. You are not sure that such changes will be good for you.	I am a student and I have not passed any exams at university. How do I tell my father this? I haven’t had the courage to tell him yet. He is expecting me to go back next semester, but I know I will not. Also, he hopes I will graduate in one year. I am so embarrassed and I do not know what to do. Do you have any advice?
You’ve won the beauty contest “Miss World” and you’re supposed to travel the whole year doing some charity work all over the world. But during this year you can’t work, can’t get married, can’t have any boyfriend, can’t live in your country, etc. Talk about it and decide what to do…	My best friend wants to go on a dangerous trip with a group. I am so afraid he will never come home. He has always loved sports and outdoor activities and has taken many trips but this trip will be very different, because it will be so dangerous. People have died. What can I do to stop him?
I am 20 years old. My family does not like my new boyfriend. They think he is weird and refuse to have him around. They want me to come alone when I visit them. I do not want to tell him that he is not invited to my family's house because no one likes him. If my family really got to know him they would like him. He comes from a good family, he does not drink, and he is a nice person. When I am with him I feel good about myself. What should I do?	I just joined a great company but I have found one thing that I don’t like: a co-worker who works no more than 3 hours in an 8-hour workday. She spends time at lunch, shopping, personal phone calls, and gossiping with other workers. Her behavior makes me think she has no respect for her fellow co-workers. I have to work more because of her. She has been here for two years and I just don't understand how she keeps her job. Should I complain about her to the boss, or should I not say anything?

Extra practice

1 Put in must or can't.

1. You've been travelling all day. You must be very tired.

2. That restaurant …………………be very good. It's always full of people.

3. That restaurant …………………be very good. It's always empty.

4. You're going on holiday next week. You …………………be looking forward to it.

5. It rained every day during their holiday, so they …………………have had a very nice time.

6. Congratulations on passing your exam. You …………………be very pleased.

7. You got here very quickly. You …………………have walked very fast.

8. Bill and Sue go away on holiday very often, so they …………………be short of money.