In our discussion of modal verbs this morning (handout available here) we produced this advice to anyone coming to Colchester:- You should be patient.
- You should bring a lot of money.
- You must read about Colchester before coming, because your friend Adel isn't prepared to help you.
- You should bring a lot of money.
- You must read about Colchester before coming, because your friend Adel isn't prepared to help you.
- You have to register with the police as soon as possible after arrival.
- You have to get a visa.
- You have to be careful.
- You have to get a visa.
- You have to be careful.
- You will need to bring your chest x-ray.
We discussed the fact that if Mark wants you to like him, he's more likely to say "
You have to do a GVD test at the end of this period " than "You must do a GVD test at the end of this period". English people, with their strange sense of humour (see here for some bad jokes), may we say something like "You have to see An Education" to recommend a movie, but the semingly much milder "You really should stop smoking" in order to save someone's life.
...and we decided (I hope) that "have to" is not a modal verb, because it is grammatically very different to other modals. Compare the following two sentences:
We discussed the fact that if Mark wants you to like him, he's more likely to say "
You have to do a GVD test at the end of this period " than "You must do a GVD test at the end of this period". English people, with their strange sense of humour (see here for some bad jokes), may we say something like "You have to see An Education" to recommend a movie, but the semingly much milder "You really should stop smoking" in order to save someone's life.
...and we decided (I hope) that "have to" is not a modal verb, because it is grammatically very different to other modals. Compare the following two sentences:
a) You mustn’t talk to anyone on the underground. (it is necessary not to…)
b) You don’t have to bring a lot of clothes. (it is not necessary to)
b) You don’t have to bring a lot of clothes. (it is not necessary to)
...which brings us back to where we started...just after the revelation that in some parts of the world you can buy special gloves for driving, we discovered that:
- Fadia didn't need to bring her ID card to the UK.
- Maha didn't need to bring all her jewellery.
- None of the male students needed to bring a car. (note that none of these "needs" are modal verbs)
...and finally (with some modal needs) that:
- Adel needn't have brought his ID card.
- Mohammed meedn't have brought any books (which is worrying).
- Reham's family needn't have sent her a satellite receiver.
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