This worksheet helps students practise modal verbs of obligation and necessity. It focuses on the differences between must, mustn’t, have to, and don’t have to, and encourages students to apply them in the context of their own country.
Many English learners confuse mustn’t (not allowed) with don’t have to (not necessary). This activity helps clarify those differences through guided categorisation and personalised sentence completion.
Activity Overview
- Level: Pre-intermediate / Intermediate
- Target language: Modal verbs of obligation: must, mustn’t, have to, don’t have to
- Time: 15–20 minutes
- Group size: Pairs, with whole-class feedback
What you need
- One copy of the worksheet per student (download here)
How to use the activity
- Give out the worksheet to each student.
- Students work in pairs to sort the following modal verbs into two groups: things that are necessary and things that are not necessary:
- Must
- Have to
- Mustn’t
- Don’t have to
- They then complete sentences about rules and customs in their country using one of the modal verbs. For example:
- You ________ wear a seat belt in a car.
- Men ________ do military service.
- Children ________ go to school on Saturday.
- You ________ go to the doctor every year.
- You ________ pay for school books.
- You ________ vote in an election.
- You ________ pay to drive on motorways.
- Discuss the completed sentences as a class. Do students agree with each other’s answers?
This activity supports learners in making meaningful distinctions between often-confused modal verbs. By personalising the grammar through culturally relevant examples, learners are more likely to engage with and remember the meaning.
