Obligation and Prohibition in English
In English, there are different ways to express obligation and prohibition. In this lesson, we will explore the various structures and expressions used to convey these concepts in English.
Obligation
To express obligation in English, we mainly use the modals 'must' and 'have to'. These two modals have similar meanings, but 'must' is generally used to express a personal obligation or internal rule, while 'have to' is used to express an external obligation or a rule imposed by a higher authority.
Definition
Must
The modal 'must' is used to express a strong personal obligation. It indicates that something is necessary or inevitable. For example:
- I must finish my homework before going out.
- We must be at the airport by 9 am.
Have to
The modal 'have to' is used to express an external obligation or a rule imposed by a higher authority. It is often used to indicate legal obligations, regulations, or constraints. For example:
- Employees have to wear a uniform.
- You have to obtain a visa to enter the country.
Prohibition
To express prohibition in English, we mainly use the modal 'must not' or 'mustn't' and the expressions 'not allowed to' or 'prohibited from'. These structures are used to indicate that it is forbidden to do something.
Definition
Must not / Mustn't
The modal 'must not' or 'mustn't' is used to express a formal prohibition. They indicate that it is strictly forbidden to do something. For example:
- You mustn't smoke in this area.
- Students must not use their phones during the exam.
Not allowed to / Prohibited from
The expressions 'not allowed to' and 'prohibited from' are used to express a more general prohibition. They indicate that it is forbidden to do something, but with less force than 'must not' or 'mustn't'. For example:
- Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the museum.
- You are prohibited from bringing outside food into the cinema.
To remember:
In this lesson, we explored the different ways to express obligation and prohibition in English. We saw that 'must' and 'have to' are used to express obligation, while 'must not', 'mustn't', 'not allowed to', and 'prohibited from' are used to express prohibition. It is important to know these structures in order to express oneself correctly in English in situations of obligation or prohibition.
