Talking about obligation, permission and prohibition

Must and have to

They are used interchangeably to express obligation. Must is slightly stronger. Sometimes,
there is a slight difference in meaning: must expresses internal obligation or necessity while
have to refers to external obligation, often coming from rules or regulations.

Obligation in the Affirmative Interrogative

present
Must For all persons + infinitive Must + all persons+
infinitive?
Have to For he-she-it: has to + Do I/you/we/they
infinitive +have to + infinitive?
Does he/she/it +
have to + inifinitive?

Obligation in the past Affirmative Interrogative

Must --------------------------- -------------------------------
Have to Had to (for all persons) Did … have to + infinitive?

Negative forms of must and have to: express different meanings

Meaning Form
Must Prohibition Mustn’t : Present
Couldn’t / (be) not allowed
to: Past
Have to No obligation/necessity Don’t/doesn’t have to:
Present
Didn’t have to: Past

1 The law

Change the sentences (if necessary) so that they are true of your country.

a) Passengers in cars don’t have to wear seatbealts.

b) You’re not allowed to drive faster than 100 kph.
c) You don’t have to pay for local phone calls.
d) Everyone has to carry an identity card.
e) Foreigners can’t own land and property.
f) Men and women have to retire at 65.
g) You’re allowed to smoke on buses and trains.
h) Men and women have to do two years’ military service.
2 Obligations at work

What must you do at work?

3 Make and let

Make somebody do something: obligation

Let sb do sth: permission

What are children allowed to do now? What about you? What were you allowed/not allowed
to do? What things did your parents let you do at home?