Unit 5: Christmas every day

Have to and must (obligation)

If you have to do something, it is necessary for you to do it. Its a law, an obligation or a
fact.
You have to get a visa if you want to go to Russia.
According to our agreement, we have to send these orders to our client today.
I have to go to the doctor later today.

If you must do something, it is necessary for you to do it, but this is often your opinion or a
rule that you have made yourself.
I must remember to buy a birthday card for Alice today.

We see must (not have to) in formal written notices or rules that an organization has
made itself.
All students must be at the examination hall fifteen minutes before the exam.

We can often use either have to or must in a sentence. But be careful! There a big
difference in meaning between dont have to and mustnt.
If you dont have to do something, it isnt necessary to do it, but you can if you want.
You dont have to finish the spreadsheet today. Tomorrow will be fine.
If you mustnt do something, it means dont do it. It is necessary not to do it.
Employees mustnt send passwords by email.
I mustnt make any mistakes this time.

Form
We use have to / must + infinitive without to. Must is the same form for all persons (I,
you, he, she, etc.). Have to changes to has to in the third person singular (he, she, it).

Positive
Karen has to get up at six every day in order to get to work on time.
You must drive more carefully or you will have an accident.
Negative
You dont have to take a towel. The swimming pool provides them.
Theyre expecting us to call so we mustnt forget.
Questions
It is possible to ask questions with Must + subject..? but it is much more common to use
Do/Does + subject + have to...?

Do I have to come to the meeting tomorrow? (Must I come to the meeting

tomorrow?)

Take note: the future and the past

There is no future or past form of must. We use will have to (future) and had to (past).
Its too late now. Youll have to talk to her tomorrow.
All the trains were cancelled, so we had to get a taxi.
Did you have to write it all again?

Take note: have got to

In informal British English, we sometimes use have got to instead of have to. They mean
the same.
Youve got to get a visa if you want to go to Russia.
Have we got to send these orders today?

And in even more informal English we sometimes don't even say the have so it becomes
just got to. You might see this in text messages and on social media, for example:
Got to change the oil.
And theres one more way to say this: gotta. Its the most informal of all these forms.
Gotta change the engine oil.

Spoken English
Have to and must are modal verbs. When we say modal verbs, we usually say them
quickly and often without emphasis. So have to sounds like hafta(haf t). Must sounds
like mus (ms). You dont hear the final /t/ sound in must.

mustn't, the middle 't' is silent. Not musTn't.

must, When you say the word on its own, it has a 't' at the end. It's pronounced 'must'.
But when it's followed by a word which starts with a consonant, that sound disappears.
I mus(t) go

'Muss go'

You mus(t) come

'Muss come'

And when it's followed by a word which starts with a vowel like 'open'. The 't' is there, but it
joins on to the word afterwards.
I must open

'Mus topen'

You must arrive

'Mus tarrive'

6 Minute Vocabulary
Binomials
Finn
Binomials, those short and sweet phrases English speakers love to use in everyday
English.

Alice
lets listen to Charlie and his mum talking about football practice.
Finn
whats a good treatment for aches and pains?

Mum
Hello, love. How was practice today?
Charlie
Horrible. I hate football.
Mum
Oh dear. Whys that?
Charlie
Im sick and tired of being in goal. Look at these bruises Im black and blue.
Mum
Lets have a lookoh yes love, why don't you jump in the bath? Warm waters very good
for aches and pains.

Alice
And Charlies mum says the answer is: a warm bath.
Finn
And the phrase aches and pains is our first binomial.
Alice
Now binomials are short English phrases made of two words that go together and the
two words are often joined with and. Like aches and pains. Which means: general pains in
the body, that usually arent serious.
Finn
Ok: now its important to remember that binomials are always fixed: you cant change
anything about them. You cant say pains and aches. You cant say aches and hurts and
you cant say hurts and pains. So, Alice: Do you suffer from aches and pains?
Alice
Poor Charlie said he was black and blue. Hes talking about the bruises on his body he got
from playing football.
Finn
Black and blue? Must have been a tough game?

Alice
Yes, no wonder Charlie said hes sick and tired of football.
Finn
Sick and tired. It means really fed up and bored with something. And remember, we cant
say tired and sick.
Alice
We cant say sick and bored either. What are you sick and tired of at the moment Finn?
Finn
I'm sick and tired of commuting: travelling to work. It took me about an hour this morning.
Finn
And another binomial: bit by bit - this time, the word in the middle is by instead of and.

Finn
Short and sweet it means simple, quick and useful.
Alice
Short and sweet or: quick and dirty. Thats another binomial with a similar meaning: quick
and dirty means simple, short and basic.
Finn
And another similar one is: cheap and cheerful.
Alice
So, three binomials there you can use to describe something as quick, simple and basic.
Alice
Aches and pains.
Finn
It describes body pains that arent serious.
Alice
Sick and tired.
Finn
Fed up, bored and angry.
Alice
Bit by bit.

Finn
To describe slow change. And to say something is simple, short and basic we had three
binomials:
Alice
Short and sweet; quick and dirty; cheap and cheerful.
Finn
And now its quiz time. Number 1. Choose the correct answer: Im learning French. Its
difficult, but Im getting better a) bit by bit b) bit by little c) bit and bit.
Alice
And the answer is: a) bit by bit.
Finn
Number 2. Sarah fell over and hit her eye yesterday. Today its a) blue and black b)black
and blue c) black and white.
Alice
And the answer is: b) black and blue.
Finn
Ouch. And finally, number 3. At only one minute long, the presentation was a) sweet and
short b) cheerful and cheap or c) quick and dirty.
Alice
And the answer is: c) quick and dirty.
Alice
Heres a cheap and cheerful tip for remembering vocabulary: play games. Making and
playing a simple card game where you match up the beginning and ends of binomials will
really help you to remember them.

Vocabulary

Sick and tired is a phrase which means annoyed and bored.

Phrases like this with two nouns joined by and are very common and useful in English.
They're called binomials. Here are a few more:
aches and pains
general body pains that arent serious
A warm bath is great for aches and pains.

cheap and cheerful

simple, basic and often inexpensive
The cafe was cheap and cheerful but the food was great.
short and sweet
quick and simple
Our Monday meetings are always short and sweet.
black and blue
sore and bruised (dolorido- herido)
Look at these bruises Im black and blue.
quick and dirty
short, simple and basic
It was a one-minute quick and dirty presentation.

Must and have to

Learn some grammar rules

Here are the main points about must and have to.
1) Both 'have to' and 'must' are used to express obligation.
You must stop eating so much.
You have to take some exercise.

2) If something is an opinion or a rule you've made yourself, you're more likely to

use 'must'.
I must remember to buy a birthday card for Alice today.

3) The negative forms 'mustn't' and 'don't have to' have very different meanings.
You don't have to stop celebrating Christmas every day. (Its not necessary to stop
celebrating Christmas every day.)
You mustn't eat all that fatty food. (You must not eat fatty food. Dont do it.)

4) If you mustn't do something, it is necessary that you don't do it.

You mustn't eat all that fatty food.

5) If you don't have to do something, it doesn't matter whether you do it or not.

You don't have to finish it today, you can give me it on Monday.

6) Have to + infinitive (without to') is the correct form.

You have to go
I have to remember
Karen has to leave before 6 o'clock

7) 'Have to' is more common in questions.

Do I have to pay now?
Does Kori have to play his music so loud?

Pronunciation tip

Finn
Today we're looking at 'must' and 'mustn't'.
First, mustn't.
You'll notice that the middle 't' is silent.
Mustn't, mustn't. Not musTn't, but mustnt
Now, 'must'. When you say the word on its own, it has a 't' at the end. It's pronounced
'must'.
But when it's followed by a word which starts with a consonant, that sound disappears.
Listen to this.
I mus(t) go
You mus(t) come
'Muss go'

'Muss come'
And one last tip, when it's followed by a word which starts with a vowel like 'open', listen to
what happens.
I must open
You must arrive
The 't' is there, but it joins on to the word afterwards.
'Mus topen'
'Mus tarrive'
There you go. That's the pronunciation tip for today. Bye.

6 Minute Grammar
'Have to' and 'must'
Alice
We use both must and have to in front of verbs, to talk about obligations things that are
necessary. In natural English, they often have very similar meanings.
Catherine
I have to leave work early today.
I must leave work early today.
Finn
I have to leave and I must leave. Those sentences have pretty similar meanings but
thats not always the case.
Catherine
My doctor says I have to lose weight.
If you go to Russia, you have to get a visa.
Alice
So we use have to for things that are necessary including laws. You cant go to some
countries without a visa you have to get one.

Finn
Yes, with have to, the obligation usually comes from someone else: a doctor, a
government or maybe your boss.
Alice
And this is where must is sometimes different. Must often suggests that the speaker
decided themselves that its necessary to do something. Here are some examples:
Catherine
Im putting on weight. I must join a gym.
I havent spoken to my sister this week. I must give her a call.
Finn
So thats must for personal necessities.
Alice
We can also use must to make recommendations, like this:
Catherine
When you go to Germany, you must try Bratwurst. Its delicious!
Alice
We sometimes see must in formal notices or rules of an organisation. A hospital sign might
say:
Catherine
Visitors must wash their hands before leaving the ward.
Alice
Now, lets look at negatives. First: dont have to.
Finn
Ok: if you dont have to do something, it isnt necessary to do it, but you can if you want.
Catherine.
Catherine
In the UK, you dont have to drink alcohol in pubs.
Alice
Dont have to means: its your choice. But mustnt means: dont do it: It is necessary not to
do it.
Catherine
You mustnt eat meat that's old.
Finn
In other words: dont eat meat thats old it could make you ill.

Alice
So we can use mustnt for both rules, and personal recommendations.
Catherine
You mustnt forget to call your sister!
Passengers must not speak to the driver while the bus is moving.
Alice
Passengers must not that sounds serious.
Finn
The long form must not is more formal than the short form mustnt.

Alice
its important to note that we dont use must in the future or the past. Instead, its will have
to for the future and had to for the past.
Catherine
You must talk to your doctor. Youll have to see her tomorrow.
You didnt have to answer all the questions in yesterday's exam, but you must answer all
the questions in today's exam.
Finn
Now: time for that pronunciation tip we promised you.
Alice
In natural speech, have to and must can get a bit squashed.
Catherine
I have to go to the doctor.
I must join a gym.
Alice
So have to sounds like hafta: I have to [hafta] go to the doctor. Hafta.
Finn
And must sounds like 'mus' without the final t sound: I 'musjoin' a gym. 'Mus'.
Finn
we must have a quiz before we go. Ill say a sentence with must. You decide if Im talking
about a rule or if its just a personal recommendation. Ready? Number 1. I need some
exercise. I must go to the gym.

Alice
And thats a personal recommendation.
Finn
Thats right number 2. Again, is this a rule or is it a personal recommendation? You
mustnt smoke in the building.
Alice
No smoking in the buildings thats a rule.
Finn
Thats right. Number 3. Im going to say a sentence in the present tense, and you have to
put it into the past. Here goes: I must have a cup of tea!
Alice
And in the past its: I had to have a cup of tea.
Finn
Well done if you got all those right!

Language focus: Test yourself

Must and have to - future and past

Earlier in this unit we learned how to use must and have to to express obligation and
strong necessity in the present tense.
But how do we use must and have to in the future or the past? Here are some example
sentences of how to use must and have to. Study them and then try the activity to help
you learn the rules.
Examples
John had to go to A&E because he banged his head.
Weve got to stay home this weekend unfortunately...
Im really sorry Auntie but well have to miss the family reunion this time.
First we had to stop at the petrol station
We've got to change the engine oil too.
I didn't have to go to the meeting today after all.

Try the activity

To do

Here are some sentences all about must and have to. Choose the correct words to
complete them.
(1) There is no future or past form of must / have to.
(2) We use will have to / will must to talk about the future and had to / musted to talk
about the past.
(3) In the first message, Sarah said "he had to go to A&E", because she was talking about
something that happened in the past / future.
(4) Sarah said "we'll have to miss the family reunion", because it's an event in the future /
past.
(5) The negative forms are 'didn't have to' (past) and will not having to / won't have
to(future).

Answers

(1) There is no future or past form of must.

(2) We use will have to to talk about the future and had to to talk about the past.
(3) In the first message, Sarah said "he had to go to A&E", because she was talking about
something that happened in the past.
(4) Sarah said "we'll have to miss the family reunion", because it's an event in the future.
(5) The negative forms are 'didn't have to' (past) and won't have to (future).

Top tip: Informal English

You've got to read this
In informal British English, we sometimes use have got to instead of have to.

We have to change the engine oil.

Weve got to change the engine oil.
And in even more informal English we sometimes don't even say the have so it becomes
just got to. You might see this in text messages and on social media, for example:
Got to change the oil.
And theres one more way to say this: gotta. Its the most informal of all these forms.
Gotta change the engine oil.