Grammar

A2+
modal verbs for rules

Recommended for:
Gold Experience
Focus
High Note

2019 1
 We often use modal verbs to talk
about rules and obligations.
Let’s look at:
1. When we use have to and don’t have to.
2. When we use must and mustn’t.
3. When we use can and can’t.
4. How we use these modal verbs to talk about rules and obligations.

When do we use them?

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 Function: When do we use them?
What did Mrs Martinez say about
the school trip to the wildlife
park?
Yes, but I didn’t write it down!
Anything else?
We must be at the You can buy snacks
school gates by eight. for the journey.
You don’t have to
Everyone has to take
some photos (for
bring lunch.
their project).
allowed not allowed
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Weren’t you listening?
OK. The bus leaves at 8.15am, so we
must be at the school gates by eight.
You don’t have to bring lunch, but
Thanks! you can buy snacks for the journey.
Yes. Everyone has to take
We mustn’t get too some photos for their project,
close to the animals.
but we mustn’t get too close
You can’t leave to the animals. And you can’t
anything on the bus. leave anything on the bus.
necessary/ not necessary
obligatory
Look at the
conversation and put
the phrases in bold in
the correct place in the
table.
 Function: When do we use them?
have to
Everyone has to take some
1. We use have to when something is necessary, for photos...
example when someone tells you to do something.
2. We use don’t have to when somethingis not necessary. You don’t have to bring lunch.

must
We must be at the school
1. Like have to, we use must when something is necessary gates by eight.
or when we are obliged to do it.
2. We use mustn’t when somethingis not allowed. We mustn’t
mustn’tget too close Notice the
to the animals. difference
can between don’t
You can buy snacks (for the journey). have to and
1. We use can if something is allowed. mustn’t.
2. We use can’t if something is not allowed.
You can’t leave anything on the bus.

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 Form: have to, must and can
The bus leaves at 8.15am, so we must
be at the school gates by eight. You
don’t have to bring lunch, but you can
buy snacks for the journey.
Everyone has to take some
photos for their project, but we
mustn’t get too close to the
animals. And you can’t leave
anything on the bus.

has to What form of have to How do we make add -n’t

do we use with he, the negative of (mustn’t, can’t)
she and it? must and can?

I/you/we/they:
don’t have to
Look at the examples an
How do we make the
again. After have to, infinitive
negative forms of
must and can, do we
have to?
he/she/it: use an infinitive or a
doesn’t have to verb with -ing?

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 Form: have to, must and can
have to must can
I/You/We/They
have to go I/You/He/She/It/We/ Remember
I/You/He/She/It/We/
positive They that modal
They must go
He/She/It can go verbs in the
has to go present are
I/You/We/They followed by
don’t have to go the infinitive.
negativ I/You/He/She/It/We/ I/You/He/She/It/We/
e He/She/It
They mustn’t go They can’t go

doesn’t have to go

Be careful with have to:

With must and can, we use the same
the form changes in
structure with all subjects:
the third person
I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
(he/she/it). Let’s practise!

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 Practice activities
Choose the correct option in these sentences.

1. We have to/don’t have to/can’t buy a ticket when we arrive because we paid on the internet.

2. A: Can/Must/Mustn’t I leave my bag here? B: No, you have to/can/mustn’t keep it with you.

3. You have to/don’t have to/mustn’t take photos of the artworks, but you have to/can/must buy a postcard in the
gift shop.

4. A: Can’t we/Can we/Do we have to wear life jackets in the boat? B: Yes, it’s obligatory.

5. You must/don’t have to/mustn’t make an appointment to see the nurse. Just knock on the door.

6. I can’t/must/mustn’t help you with your test. You must/can/can’t do it by yourself.

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Gold Experience | Focus | High Note

 Practice activities
Choose the correct option in these sentences.

1. We have to/don’t have to/can’t buy a ticket when we arrive because we paid on the internet.

2. A: Can/Must/Mustn’t I leave my bag here? B: No, you have to/can/mustn’t keep it with you.

3. You have to/don’t have to/mustn’t take photos of the artworks, but you have to/can/must buy a postcard in the
gift shop.

4. A: Can’t we/Can we/Do we have to wear life jackets in the boat? B: Yes, it’s obligatory.

5. You must/don’t have to/mustn’t make an appointment to see the nurse. Just knock on the door.

6. I can’t/must/mustn’t help you with your test. You must/can/can’t do it by yourself.

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 Explore grammar: reflexive pronouns
My friend hurt
No one wanted to herself when she
come for a walk, so I was skiing, but
went by myself. she’s better now.

You can make

subject pronoun object pronoun reflexive pronoun Ricardo took a group a sandwich
photo of himself for yourself
I me myself with his friends. in the kitchen.
you you yourself

he him himself
Look at these sentences. We
she her herself use reflexive pronouns when
we do something to ourselves.
it it itself

we us ourselves By myself/yourself
they them themselves etc. means ‘alone, Now complete
without anyone the table.
else’.
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 Explore grammar: it’s, there is / are
There’s a food Look at these
market here on sentences and decide
Saturdays. which situation
talking about the describes each. (Use
saying that something exists
weather one situation twice)
saying that something
It’s really windy this exists
morning.
making a general statement
talking about the weather
It’s hard to wake up What do we use to make What do we use
early when you go to general statements and talk to say that
bed late. about the weather? something
exists?
making a general statement

There are three football

teams in my town. it’s there is /
there are
saying that something exists

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