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MUST
a) an order or a prohibition:
e.g.: You must take this pill You must not drink alcohol
b) a necessity or an obligation felt by the speaker:
e.g.: I must study tonight I must not eat too much
c) a supposition or a logical deduction (present or past):
e.g.: John looks pale. He must be tired. Dinner must be ready. I can smell it. You must have been exhausted when you arrived last night after that long journey.
- Must only has the Simple Present form, therefore in the other
tenses and moods it has to be replaced by to have + infinitive. To have to also expresses an obligation. In the Simple Present form, however, the use of must or to have to implies a slight change in meaning: must is usually used to express an obligation felt by the speaker (a necessity), while to have to expresses an obligation imposed by somebody/something else (even if it is not always possible to determine this difference). In the negative form, however, they have different meanings: must not expresses a prohibition, while don’t/doesn’t/didn't have to express a lack of obligation or necessity:
e.g.: He mustn’t eat anything before the operation (prohibition) Nurses don’t have to wear gloves to take blood pressure (lack of necessity)
SHALL
a) with the first singular and plural persons in the Future Simple Tense:
e.g.: I shall come with you We shall not stay for dinner
(Nowadays will tends to be used also in these cases)
out today!
)7 Can you switch off your mobile phone, please? You …………………………. use it here.
)8 Lisa is feeling better today. She ……………………………. stay in bed.
)9 You can stay here, if you want. You ………………………….. go away.
)10 Your liver function tests are disastrous. You ………………….. drink any alcohol!
Exercise: Translate the following sentences into English
)10.)1 Stasera devo andare a letto presto perché domani ho un esame. …………………………………………………………………
)10.)2 Non devi prendere troppi analgesici!
…………………………………………………………………
)10.)3 Jane è molto calda. Deve avere la febbre.
…………………………………………………………………
- Che cosa dobbiamo comprare per la festa?
…………………………………………………………………
- Hai caldo? Devo aprire la finestra?
…………………………………………………………………
- Oggi Tim non è al lavoro. Deve essere malato.
…………………………………………………………………
- Non devi andare al lavoro se non ti senti bene.
…………………………………………………………………
- Ti senti male? Devo chiamare il dottore?
…………………………………………………………………
- Quando una mamma allatta un bambino non deve prendere medicinali.
…………………………………………………………………
- Non devi comprare il latte. Ce ne sono due bottiglie nel frigorifero.
…………………………………………………………………
)11 Sono molto stanca. Facciamo una pausa?
……………………………………………………………………
- I parenti dei pazienti non devono rimanere nelle stanze oltre l’orario di visita.
…………………………………………………………………
SHOULD
- Should is used to express :
a) an (moral) obligation which is not accomplished by the speaker (present or past):
e.g.: I should study more I should help my brother
b) a suggestion, a piece of advice:
e.g.: You should go to the doctor He shouldn’t drink so much beer
c) a rebuke:
e.g.: You shouldn’t talk like that! You should thank me! You shouldn't have talked that way.
d) a deduction/speculation:
e.g.: The operation should be over by now Tim should be back at 11
- Should is also used in conditional sentences of the first type:
e.g.: If Lisa should call, tell her I’m out.
OUGHT TO
- Ought to is synonymous of should and can be used in all its uses (apart from the conditional sentences)
a) speaker's obligation:
e.g.: I ought to study more I ought to help my brother I ought to have studied more
b) advice, suggestions
e.g.: You ought to go to the doctor He oughtn’t to drink so much beer
c) rebukes:
e.g.: You oughtn’t to talk like that! You ought to thank me!
d) suppositions:
e.g.: The operation ought to be over by now Tim ought to be back at 11
Exercise: Fill in the spaces using should/ought to or shouldn’t/ oughtn’t to and one of the following verbs:
NEED
Need is usually used as a regular verb, followed either by a direct complement (object) or by a verb in the infinitive form:
Do you need any help? Did you really need to go?
In the negative form need can act as a modal verb when it refers to a lack of necessity in specific situations (but not in habitual/ recurrent situations). In this case it is always followed by a verb in the bare infinite form (and it cannot be followed by an object)
She needn't leave at once. You needn't tell Jane about it.
In this use it is interchangeable with don't/doesn't have to:
She doesn't have to leave at once. You don't have to tell Jane about it.
need can also be followed by a verb in the -ing form, with a passive meaning:
The roof of my house needs repairing. Your car needs washing.
A lack of necessity in the past can be expressed in the following ways:
1) SUBJECT + DIDN'T NEED + INFINITIVE
We use this structure when we want to refer to the lack of necessity of performing an action (in this use didn't need can be replaced by didn't have + infinitive) → It wasn't necessary, so I didn't do it
John didn't need/didn’t have to get up early on Sunday because there was no school ( and he didn’t do it ).
Tim told me I didn't need / didn't have to bring flowers because Mary has got plenty in her garden, so I have brought a box of chocolates.
- SUBJECT + NEEDN'T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
- You could have been/must have been crazy to do something as
dangerous as that!
- He can’t have been/may have been the murderer because he
has an excellent alibi.
I might / can not be able to come so don’t wait for me.
It may / must be cold tomorrow.
Who could have/ should have done such a terrible thing?
Hurry up, we’re late! We might / should have been ready hours
ago.
