Grammar - Pre-Intermediate

Articles
Past Continuous Structure
Past Continuous Use
Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Quantifiers
Present Perfect Structure
Present Perfect Use
For, Since and Ago
 'Should', 'May' and 'Might'
'Will' or 'Going To'?
'Like' as verb and preposition.
'Have To' and 'Must'
Introduction to Phrasal Verbs
'Have' and 'Have Got'
Question Tags
Compound Nouns
So and Such

"Have To" and "Must"

These two are very similar and both are used to talk about obligation.

Used in the positive/affirmative, these two are almost identical and the difference between them is too small to worry about at this level. They are used to say that there is an obligation, necessity for someone to do something.

Drivers in England have to drive on the left of the road.
All students must finish the exam by eleven o'clock.
All young Israelis have to do military service.

Note the construction:

Subject + Have to
Must 		+ Infinitive without "TO"

NOT I must to go home before midnight.

Used in the negative, have to and must are very different.
Mustn't means there is an obligation not to do something. It's against the law, for example.

You mustn't drive over 70mph in this area.
Teachers mustn't hit their students.
If you drink more than a couple of beers, you mustn't try and drive home.

Don't have to, on the other hand, means there is no obligation for you to do something. In other words, it isn't necessary.

Rich people don't have to work.
You don't have to do part B of the test. That is for the other class.
In Britain, old people don't have to pay on the buses. It's free!

Must doesn't have a past form so you should use had to.

We missed the last bus last night so we had to catch a taxi.


Introduction To Phrasal Verbs

If you want to see our phrasal verb section of the site, click here.

Phrasal verbs are verbs that are comprised of a main verb plus a particle, or preposition. Some phrasal verbs have two particles after the main verb!

She gets up at six o'clock every morning.
Turn on the television, that programme is starting now.
My grandmother lives with us and we look after her.
I will never live up to my mother's expectations of me.

Phrasal verbs must be learnt individually like normal verbs. Often there is a clue, a help, in the main verb as to its meaning:

She sat down on the sofa.
I am looking for my glasses. Where are they?

But often there isn't any help in the main verb:

I didn't want to speak to her, so I hung up.
We had to put our cat down last year. It was terrible.

Once you learn the meaning of a phrasal verb, you then must learn how it can be used. Most importantly, you must learn if it is formal or informal English and if it can be separated or not.

Most phrasal verbs can be separated - that is, the main verb and the particle can have another word, usually the object, in between them.

I got John up at seven o'clock as he had to leave early.
She said she didn't have a hotel room so I put her up.
They picked their parents up from the airport.

  • Usually, if we use a pronoun such as it, her, him, etc, this must go between the main verb and the particle.

    • But you need to learn those that can't be separated:

    They got on the bus.    NOT    They got the bus on.

    You should treat phrasal verbs like any normal vocabulary. That is to say, you must learn each one individually - its meaning and its use.


    'Have' and 'Have Got'

    have got is used in some English-speaking countries (not very much in the United States) to mean have, possess.

    John has got a big house near the harbour.
    We haven't got any children.
    Have you got a cigarette, please?

    Remember to use has in the third person:

    Can
    Positive Negative* Question
    I've got
    You've got
    He's got
    She's got
    It's got
    We've got
    You've got
    They've got    		 I haven't got
    You haven't got
    He hasn't got
    She hasn't got
    It hasn't got
    We haven't got
    You haven't got
    They haven't got     		Have I got?
    Have you got?
    Has he got?
    Has she got?
    Has it got?
    Have we got?
    Have you got?
    Have they got?

    Note the contractions used.

    Examples:

    This hotel has got two large restaurants.
    I've got a terrible headache!

    This television hasn't got an off switch!
    We haven't got time to look in shop windows. Come on!!

    Has you car got electric windows?
    Have your parents got photos of their wedding?

    Note. You cannot use have got to replace have in expressions which do not signify possession.

    I have a shower at seven every morning.
    NOT I have got a shower at seven every morning.