Must, Have To and Should Exercises
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Must, have to and should
Use must and have to for rules and things that are necessary. Use should for advice. Be careful: mustn't means you can't do it, but don't have to means it is not necessary.
- Must:
- Use must for a strong rule: You must stop at a red light. Must is the same for every person: I must, she must. After must, use the base verb.
- Have to:
- Use have to for rules and things that are necessary: Students have to wear a uniform. Use has to with he, she and it: She has to get up at six.
- Mustn't:
- Use mustn't (must not) for something that is not allowed: You mustn't park here. It means: do not do it.
- Don't have to:
- Use don't have to or doesn't have to when it is not necessary: I don't have to work on Sunday. It means: you can do it, but you can choose.
- Questions with have to:
- Use do or does for a question: Do you have to work on Saturdays? Does she have to wear a uniform? Questions with must are formal and rare, so use have to.
- Should and shouldn't:
- Use should for advice, and shouldn't for a bad idea: You should see a doctor. You shouldn't eat so much sugar. Should is the same for every person.
Examples
You must stop at a red light.
This is a strong rule. Must is followed by the base verb: stop.
Students have to wear a uniform at my school.
It is a rule at the school. Have to is the same idea as must.
She has to get up at six every day.
She is one person, so we say has to.
You mustn't park here.
Mustn't means it is not allowed.
Tomorrow is Sunday, so I don't have to work.
It is not necessary. I can work, but I do not need to.
You should go to bed early. You shouldn't watch TV all night.
Should and shouldn't give advice. They are not rules.
Practice exercises
Choose the Correct Form
Choose the correct answer.
1.In my country, you ___ drive on the left. It is the law.
2.You ___ take photos in this room. It is not allowed.
3.It's Saturday. I ___ go to school today.
4.You have a bad cold. You ___ stay at home and rest.
5.My brother ___ wear a suit at work. It's the rule.
6.Which sentence means 'It is not necessary'?
Fill in the Blank
Type the correct form. The hint tells you which word to use.
Put the Words in Order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
13. Build the sentence:
14. Build the sentence:
15. Build the sentence:
16. Build the sentence:
True or False
Decide if each statement is true or false.
17.'Mustn't' and 'don't have to' mean the same thing.
18.'You mustn't smoke here' means smoking is not allowed.
19.We use 'should' to give advice: 'You should drink more water.'
20.'She should goes home early' is correct English.
21.With he, she and it, we say 'has to': 'She has to work today.'
Rules and Advice: Must, Have To and Should
We use must and have to to talk about rules and things that are necessary. You must stop at a red light. Students have to wear a uniform at my school. The two forms are very close in meaning. Must is the same for every person, and has to is for he, she and it: she has to get up at six.
Mustn't and don't have to are different. Mustn't means it is not allowed: you mustn't park here. Don't have to means it is not necessary: I don't have to work on Sunday. I can work, but nobody says that I need to. This is a very common mistake, so practice both.
To ask a question with have to, use do or does: Do you have to work on Saturdays? Does she have to wear a uniform? For the negative, use don't or doesn't: we don't have to pay. After have to, always use the base verb.
We use should to give advice. You should see a doctor. You shouldn't eat so much sugar. Should is the same for every person, and the next verb has no -s: she should go, not she should goes. Advice is softer than a rule. The other person can choose.
The exercises above practice all of these forms: choosing the correct answer, completing sentences, building sentences in the correct order, and deciding if a statement is true or false.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between must and have to?
They are very close. Both are for rules and things that are necessary: You must stop at a red light. You have to stop at a red light. We often use must when we give a strong rule or opinion, and have to for rules that come from other people, such as a school or a job. Have to also has questions and negatives with do and does.
What is the difference between mustn't and don't have to?
Mustn't means do not do it, because it is not allowed: You mustn't park here. Don't have to means it is not necessary: You don't have to pay. It is free. You can pay, but you do not need to.
How do I ask a question with have to?
Use do or does, then the person, then have to and the base verb: Do you have to work on Saturdays? Does she have to wear a uniform? Do not put have to first.
When do I use should?
Use should to give advice: You should see a doctor. Use shouldn't for a bad idea: You shouldn't eat so much sugar. Should is the same for every person, and the next verb has no -s.
Is should as strong as must?
No. Must and have to are for rules and things that are necessary. Should is softer. It says that something is a good idea, and the person can choose.
Answer key
1. In my country, you ___ drive on the left. It is the law.
Answer: have to
It is the law, so it is necessary: have to. Don't have to means it is not necessary.
2. You ___ take photos in this room. It is not allowed.
Answer: mustn't
It is not allowed, so use mustn't.
3. It's Saturday. I ___ go to school today.
Answer: don't have to
There is no school on Saturday, so it is not necessary. Use don't have to.
4. You have a bad cold. You ___ stay at home and rest.
Answer: should
This is advice, so use should. Has to is for he, she and it, not for you.
5. My brother ___ wear a suit at work. It's the rule.
Answer: has to
My brother is one person (he), so we say has to. We never say must to.
6. Which sentence means 'It is not necessary'?
Answer: You don't have to come.
Don't have to means it is not necessary. Mustn't means it is not allowed. Shouldn't means it is a bad idea.
7. It is a rule. We ___ be quiet in the exam.
Answer: have to
It is a rule, so use have to or must. Both mean that it is necessary.
8. You ___ forget your passport. You can't travel without it.
Answer: mustn't
The negative of must is mustn't or must not. It means do not forget it.
9. Tomorrow is a holiday, so she ___ work.
Answer: doesn't have to
With she, the negative is doesn't have to. It means it is not necessary.
10. He ___ get up at five o'clock. His train is at six.
Answer: has to
He is one person, so we say has to.
11. You eat too much sugar. You ___ eat so much.
Answer: shouldn't
This is advice about a bad idea, so use shouldn't or should not.
12. ___ I have to wear a tie to the party?
Answer: Do
A question with have to uses do or does. With I, use do.
13. phone / in / use / mustn't / you / your / exams / .
Answer: You mustn't use your phone in exams.
The order is you + mustn't + base verb. Mustn't means it is not allowed.
14. Saturdays / have / work / you / to / on / ? / Do
Answer: Do you have to work on Saturdays?
A question with have to starts with do. Then you + have to + the base verb.
15. a / to / doesn't / wear / have / she / uniform / .
Answer: She doesn't have to wear a uniform.
With she, the negative is doesn't have to. After it, use the base verb: wear.
16. doctor / should / a / see / you / .
Answer: You should see a doctor.
The order is you + should + base verb. It is advice.
17. 'Mustn't' and 'don't have to' mean the same thing.
Answer: False
Mustn't means it is not allowed. Don't have to means it is not necessary, but you can do it if you want.
18. 'You mustn't smoke here' means smoking is not allowed.
Answer: True
Mustn't is for things that are not allowed.
19. We use 'should' to give advice: 'You should drink more water.'
Answer: True
Should gives advice. It is a good idea, but it is not a rule.
20. 'She should goes home early' is correct English.
Answer: False
After should, use the base verb with no -s: she should go home early.
21. With he, she and it, we say 'has to': 'She has to work today.'
Answer: True
Have to changes to has to with he, she and it.