Grammar

Have To and Don't Have To

Use 'have to' for obligations that often come from outside rules, and 'don't have to' to say something is not necessary. Unlike true modals, 'have to' uses 'do' in questions and negatives.

Post

Level A2 Modals

Summary

Use 'have to' for obligations that often come from outside rules, and 'don't have to' to say something is not necessary. Unlike true modals, 'have to' uses 'do' in questions and negatives.

Structure

subject + (don't) have to + base verb

Examples

Common mistakes

• Confusing 'don't have to' (not necessary) with 'mustn't' (forbidden).
• Dropping 'do' in questions, e.g. 'Have you to work?' instead of 'Do you have to work?'.

Related

Must and Mustn't Should for Advice

More modals

Can / Could (Ability and Permission) A2

Use 'can' for present ability and informal permission or requests. Use 'could' for past ability and for more polite requests.

Must / Have To (Obligation) B1

Use 'must' and 'have to' to express obligation or necessity. 'Mustn't' means something is forbidden, while 'don't have to' means there is no obligation.

May / Might (Possibility) B1

Use 'may' and 'might' to talk about present or future possibility. 'May' is also used for formal permission.

Would for Past Habits B2

Use 'would' to talk about repeated past actions and habits, similar to 'used to'. Unlike 'used to', 'would' is not normally used for past states.

Would (Polite Requests and Hypotheticals) B1

Use 'would' for polite requests and offers, for hypothetical results (especially in conditionals), and to describe imagined situations.

Can and Can't for Ability A1

Use 'can' to say someone is able to do something and 'can't' for inability. 'Can' is followed by the base form of the verb and stays the same for all subjects.

External links

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