MEETING 3

MODAL AUX: NECESSITY AND ADVISIBILITY

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVE
In this meeting, the students will learn about NECESSITY AND ADVISIBILITY. By the
end of the course, the students are expected to be able to:
1.1.Express necessity.
1.2.Understand lack of necessity and prohibition.
1.3.Understand advisability.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
1.1.Expressing Necessity
a. MUST and HAVE TO
Must and have to both express necessity. Look at the following examples:
 All applicants must take an entrance exam.
 All applicants have to take an entrance exam,
The meaning of the sentences is that it is necessary for every applicant to take an
entrance exam. There is no other choice. The exam is required.

In everyday statement of necessity, have to is used more commonly than must.

Must is usually stronger than have to and can indicate urgency or stress
importance. Look at the following examples:
 I am looking for Sue. I have to talk to her about our lunch date tomorrow.
 Where is Sue? I must talk to her right away. I have an urgent message for
her.
In the first example, have to is used because the speaker is simply saying “I need
to do this.” In the second example, must is used because the speaker is strongly
saying, “This is very important.”

Have to is usually pronounced “hafta”; has to is usually pronounce “hasta.”

  I have to (“hafta”) be home by eight.
 She has to (“hasta”) be home by eight.

b. HAVE GOT TO
Have got to is also used to express the idea of necessity but it is informal and is
used primarily in spoken English. Usual pronunciation of got to is “gotta.” And
sometime have is dropped in speech. For examples:
 I have got to go now. I have a class in ten minutes.
 I have gotta go now. I have a class in ten minutes
 She has gotta go now. She has a class in ten minutes
 I gotta go now. I have a class in ten minutes

c. HAD TO
The idea of past necessity is expressed by HAD TO. There is no other past form of
must (when it means necessity) or have got to. For examples:
 I had to study last night.
 I didn’t come to your house because I had to work yesterday.

1.2.Lack of Necessity and Prohibition

When used in the negative, MUST and HAVE TO have different meanings.
a. Lack of Necessity
When used in the negative, HAVE TO means lack of necessity. For examples:
 Tomorrow is holiday. I don’t have to go to class.
 Tomorrow is holiday. She doesn’t have to go to class.
The examples above mean that it is not necessary to go to class tomorrow because
it is a holiday.
 Yesterday was holiday. We didn’t have to go to class.
The example above expresses lack of necessity in the past.
 b. Prohibition
MUST NOT is used to express prohibition which means DO NOT DO THIS. For
example:
 You must not tell anyone my secret. Do you promise?
It means that do not tell anyone because I forbid it. Telling someone my secret is
prohibited.

1.3.Advisability
a. SHOULD and OUGHT TO
Should and ought to have the same meaning; they express advisability. The
meaning ranges in strength from a suggestion (“This is good idea”) to a statement
about responsibility or duty (“This is a very important thing to do”). For examples:
 Drivers should obey the speed limit.
 Drivers ought to obey the speed limit.

Negative forms:
 You shouldn’t leave your keys in the car.
Ought to is not commonly used in the negative. If it is used in the negative, the TO
is sometimes dropped.
 You oughtn’t leave your keys in the car.

In informal speaking, ought to is often pronounced “otta.”

 I ought to (“otta”) study tonight, but I think I’ll watch TV instead.

b. HAD BETTER
In meaning, had better is close to should/ought to, but had better is usually
stronger. Often had better implies a warning or a threat of possible bad
consequences. For example:
 The gas tank is almost empty. We had better stop at the next service station.
The example above means if we don’t stop at a service station, there will be a bad
result. We will run out of gas.
 Negative form: had better + not, for example:
 You had better not be late.

Contraction: ‘d better but sometimes in speaking, had is dropped. For examples:

 You’d better take care of it.
 You better take care of it.

Notes on the use of had better:

 It has a present or future meaning.
 It is followed by the simple form of a verb.
 It is more common in speaking than writing.

C. EXERCISE
1.1.Exercise 1: Lack of Necessity and Prohibition
Instructions: Use must not or do not have to in the following.
Examples:
 I’ve already finished all my work, so I .................. don’t have to................... to
study tonight. I think I’ll read for a while. (This is lack of necessity. That’s why
don’t have is used)
 I ...............must not...................... forget to take my key with me. (This is
prohibition. That’s why must not is used)

1. You ..................................... introduce me to Dr. Gray. We’ve already met.

2. In order to be a good salesclerk, you ..................................... be rude to a customer.
3. A person ..................................... become rich and famous in order to live a
successful life.
4. Johnny! You ..................................... play with sharp knives. Put the knife down
immediately.
5. I ..................................... go to the doctor. I am feeling much better.
 6. We ..................................... go to the concert if you don’t want to, but it might be
good.
7. Robin! What are you doing? No, no, no. You ..................................... put your
vitamin pill in your nose.
8. Bats ..................................... see in order to avoid obstacles. They can navigate in
complete darkness.
9. If you encounter a growling dog, you ..................................... show any signs of
fear. If a dog senses fear, it is more likely to attack a person.
10. The students ..................................... cheat during the test.

1.2.Exercise 2: Advisability
Instructions: Give advice by using should, ought to, or had better.
Example:
A: I have a test tomorrow.
B: ...............You should study tonight......................

1. A: I don’t feel well. I think I am catching a cold.

B: .....................................
2. A: I can’t see the whiteboard when I sit in the back row.
B: .....................................
3. A: My foot is asleep.
B: .....................................
4. A: My apartment is a mess, and my mother is coming to visit tomorrow.
B: .....................................
5. A: There is no food in the house, and some guests are coming for dinner tonight.
B: .....................................
6. A: I can’t stop yawning.
B: .....................................
7. A: Ooops! I spilled coffee on my shirt.
B: .....................................
8. A: I need to improve my English.
 B: .....................................
9. A: My roommate snores, and I can’t get to sleep.
B: .....................................
10. A: I am writing an essay, but I don’t know what to write.
B: .....................................