Exercises
Who decides – you, or the rules? Practise must, have to, mustn’t and don’t have to, plus the past and future forms, with business examples.
must
An obligation you feel yourself, or strong advice.
I must call Maria – I haven’t spoken to her for weeks.
have to
An obligation from outside: rules, the law, the situation.
I have to wear a suit – it’s the dress code.
mustn’t
It is not allowed.
You mustn’t share these figures – they’re confidential.
don’t have to
It isn’t necessary.
You don’t have to come – I’ll send you the notes.
had to / will have to
‘Must’ has no past or future form, so we use ‘have to’.
Sorry I’m late – I had to finish a report.
Who creates the obligation – and is it necessary, or not allowed?
6You (not / have to) wear a tie – the dress code is smart casual.
‘Must’ only works in the present – everywhere else, use ‘have to’.
6We (have to) cancel the offsite next week because the hotel is fully booked.
7Last year we (have to) cut our marketing budget by 20%.
Check a section to see your score here.
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