Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Asking Permission
Would you mind if 1 closed the window?
Would you mind if 1 used the phone?
Typical Responses
No, not at all.
No, of course not.
No, that would be fine.
Notice: Would you mind if 1 is followed by
the simple past.
Sometimes, in informal spoken
English, the simple present is used:
Would you mind if I close the
window?
Note : The simple past does not refer
to past time after would you mind ;
it refers to present or future time.
The meaning in : May 1 close the window?
Is it all right if 1 close the window? Will it
cause you any trouble or discomfort if 1
close the window?
Notice that the typical response is “no.”
“Yes” means Yes, 1 mind. In other words:
It is a problem for me. Another typical
response might be “unh-uh,” meaning
“no.”
Asking Someone to Do Something
Would you mind closing the window?
Excuse me. Would you mind repeating that?
Typical Responses
No. I’d be happy to. / Not at all. I’d be glad to.
informal : No problem. / Sure. / Okay.
Notice in: Would you mind is followed by the -ing
form of a verb (a gerund).
The meaning : 1 don’t want to cause you any
trouble, but would you please close the window?
Would that cause you any inconvenience?
The informal responses “Sure” and “Okay”
are common but not logical. The speaker
means No, 1 wouldn't mind but seems to
be saying the opposite: Yes, 1 would mind.
Native speakers understand that the
response “Sure” or “Okay” in this
situation means that the speaker agrees to
the request.
Exercise 5, p.160
Make sentences using Would you mind .
2. a. I want you to speak with John,
b. I want to speak with John.
3. a. I want to turn on the air conditioner.
b. I want you to turn on the air conditioner.
.Answers- Exercise 5, p. 160
Must, Have To
All applicants must take an entrance exam.
All applicants have to take an entrance
exam.
Must and have to both express necessity.
The meaning is the same : It is necessary
for every applicant to take an entrance
exam. There is no other choice. The exam
is required.
- I’m looking for Sue. 1 have to talk to her about
our lunch date tomorrow. 1 can't meet her for
lunch because 1 have to go to a business
meeting at 1:00.
(Means: 1 need to do this, and 1 need to do that).
-Where’s Sue? I must talk to her right away.
I have an urgent message for her.
(The meaning is stronger : This is very important!).
In everyday statements of necessity, have to
is used more commonly than must.
Must is usually stronger than have to and
can indicate urgency or stress
importance.
Must is a strong word, (meaning necessity)
is relatively rare in conversation. It is
usually found in legal or academic
writing.
I have to (“hafta”) be home by eight.
He has to (“hasta”) go to a meeting
tonight.
NOTE : Native speakers often say “hafta”
and “hasta“.
Have Got To
I have got to go now. I have a class in ten
minutes.
I have to go now. I have a class in ten minutes.
Have got to also expresses the idea of necessity:
The two sentences have the same meaning.
Have got to is informal and is used primarily in
spoken English. Have to is used in both formal
and informal English.
I have got to go (“I’ve gotta go /
1 gotta go”) now.
The usual pronunciation of got to
is "gotta.” Sometimes have is
dropped in speech: “1 gotta do
it.”
Past Necessity
PRESENT OR FUTURE
I have to / have got to / must study tonight.
PAST
I had to study last night.
Had to expresses past necessity.
had to = needed to: 1 needed to study last
night.
There is no other past form for must (when
it means necessity) or have got to.
Exercise 14. Warm-up, p. 165
Choose the sentences that Speaker B might say in response to Speaker
A.
(answers 2&3)
Lack of Necessity and Prohibition: Have
To and Must in the Negative
Lack of Necessity
Tomorrow is a holiday. We don’t have to go to class.
(Means : We don’t need to go to class tomorrow because it
is a holiday.)
1 can hear you. You don’t have to shout.
When used in the negative, must and have to have
different meanings.
Negative form: do not have to = lack of necessity.
Lack of necessity may also be expressed by
need not + the simple form of a verb:
You needn’t shout.
The use of needn't as an auxiliary is
chiefly British except in certain common
expressions such as:
You needn’t worry.
Prohibition
You must not tell anyone my secret.
Do you promise?
must not = prohibition (DO NOT DO THIS !)
Means: Do not tell anyone my secret. 1 forbid it .
Tell Telling anyone my secret is prohibited.
Negative contraction: mustn’t. (The first “t” is
silent.)
Don’t tell anyone my secret.
You can’t tell anyone my secret.
You’d better not tell anyone my secret.
Because must not is so strong, speakers
also express prohibition with imperatives,
or with other modals.
Exercise 15, p. 165
Complete the sentences with must not or do /does not
have to.
2. In order to be a good salesclerk, you___ be rude to
customers.
3. You ___ introduce me to Dr. Gray. We’ve already
met.
4. A person ___ become rich and famous in order to
live a successful life.
5. 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.
Cont…Exercise 15, p.165
6. I ___ go to the doctor. I’m feeling much
better.
Imagine that next Tuesday you have a holiday. You and your
roommate are making plans. Read the list of activities. Which
ones sound good to you?
Activities:
1. Let’s go to a movie.
2. Why don’t we study grammar all day?
3. Let’s go shopping.
4. Why don’t we fly to Paris for lunch?
5. Let’s play video games.
6. Why don’t we clean and do the laundry?
Making Suggestions: Let's , Why Don’t, Shall 1/
We
Let’s go to a movie.
let’s = let us
Let’s is followed by the simple form of a
verb.
Let’s not go to a movie.
Let’s stay home instead.
Negative form: let’s + not + simple verb
Let’s means 1 have a suggestion for us.
Why don't we go to a movie?
(Means: Let's go to a movie.)
Why don't you come around seven?
(Means:1 suggest that you come around seven.)
Why don’t 1 give Mary a call?
(Means: Should 1 give Mary a call? Do you agree with
my suggestion?)
Why don’t is used primarily in spoken English to make a
friendly suggestion.
Shall 1 open the window? Is that okay with you?
Shall we leave at two? Is that okay?
When shall is used with I or we in a question, the speaker is
usually making a suggestion and asking another person if she/he
agrees with this suggestion.
The use of shall + I/we is relatively formal and infrequent in American
English.
Let's go, shall we?
Let’s go, okay?
Sometimes shall we? is used as a tag question after let’s.
More informally, okay? is used as a tag question.
Exercise 39. In your own words. P. 177