Use of modal verbs to express necessity
| TIME OF THE ACTION | NECESSITY CAUSED BY CIRCUMSTANCES | ABSENCE OF NECESSITY | NECESSITY AS A RESULT OF PLAN, AGREEMENT, GENERAL ARRANGEMENT, TIME-TABLE |
| PRESENT | You must hurry. It's five to ten already. 1 have to leave you now. Here goes the bell. (1 have got to leave you now.) | You needn't hurry. There is plenty of time. 1 don't have to leave you yet. The bell won't go for another five minutes. | 1 am to meet Mother at the doctor's at five sharp. When is the lecture to begin? |
| PAST | 1 had to leave her as the interval was over. | You needn't have hurried. There was plenty of time. 1 didn't have to leave her at once, for the interval was only beginning. | 1 was to come to the Institute an hour before the time and wait for her in the hall. |
| FUTURE | ГII have to hurry to catch the five thirty train. | 1 won't have to hurry. There'll be plenty of time. |
EXERCISES
Ex. 1. (B) Translate the sentences, explain the use of "must" or "have to" in them.
1.1 must go and lay the table myself. 2. We had to walk all the way to the station. 3. She had to change her shoes after walking in the garden. 4. She pretended she didn't understand anything. Mother had to tell her plainly what she thought of it. 5. We'll have to run. 6. The shoes are a size too small. I'll have to go to the shop and have them changed. 7. She was running high temperature. I had to put her to bed at once. 8. You'll have to do something about it. 9. Someone will have to stay and warn them.
Ex. 2. (В, С) In each of the following sentences the necessity of some action is stated.
Use "to be" instead of "must"/"have to" to show that the action is not only necessary but also expected or planned. Translate the sentences.
1. I must buy a present for her birthday. 2. We had to take the letters to the post-office. 3. I have to make a report at the conference. 4. They must show us how to organise the
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work. 5. She had to take this group of children round the picture gallery. 6. We had to start early. 7.1 must do the shopping today. 8.1 must explain it all to you.
Ex. 3. (В, С) Use the following word combinations to compose sentences expressing order or prohibition. Translate your sentences.