اللغة الإنجليزية — Modal Verbs: must, have to, should — Obligation and Advice — الثانية متوسط — المنهاج الجزائري

Modal Verbs: must, have to, should

These modal verbs express obligation, necessity, and advice.

Must

Expresses strong obligation (internal, from the speaker) or prohibition (mustn’t).

• You must wear a seatbelt. (obligation)
• You must not (mustn’t) smoke here. (prohibition)

Have to / Has to

Expresses external obligation (rules, laws, others).

• I have to wake up early for school. (external rule)
• She has to wear a uniform. (school rule)
• Don’t have to = no obligation (but not prohibited): You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.

Should

Expresses advice, recommendation, or opinion.

• You should eat healthy food. (advice)
• You should not (shouldn’t) stay up late.

Comparison Table

Exercises

Complete with must, have to, should, or their negatives.

1. You ________ brush your teeth twice a day.
2. Students ________ run in the hallways. (prohibition)
3. I ________ finish my homework before playing.
4. You ________ eat more vegetables. It’s good for you.
5. We ________ go to school on Friday. It’s a holiday. (no obligation)

See also: Object Pronouns