Hello, my name's Sally, and I have a room reserved for tonight.
Receptionist
Hello, Sally. Welcome to the Victoria Hotel. Can I have your passport please?
Sally
Here you are.
Receptionist
OK. It'll be €55.00 for the night. Your room number is 405 and it's on the fourth floor near the lift.
Sally
Great, thanks. Can someone help me with my bags, please?
Receptionist
Certainly. Roger, our porter, will show you to your room.
Next Dialogue
Roger
Here's your room. Is this OK for you?
Sally
Yes, it looks fine.
Roger
There are some hotel rules which I must tell you about. Firstly, you mustn't smoke in the room and you mustn't make a lot of noise after 10pm. Also you have to vacate the room before 10am.
Herr Schwarz
OK, that's not a problem. Are non-guests allowed in the hotel rooms?
Franz
Yes, but they have to leave before 10pm. Enjoy your stay at the Victoria Hotel. Good evening.
Modals of obligation are used to talk about permission and prohibition.
English for B2 students Grammar • Unit 10
Modal Verbs
Modal verb
Explanation
must
obligations (often personal obligations)
mustn't
prohibited, forbidden
have to
obligations (often external obligations)
don't have to
not required, optional
should
recommended, advised
shouldn't
not recommended, not advised
In most situations must and have to are interchangeable. We often use must when we refer to personal obligations (I must go now because it's late). We often use have to to talk about external obligations which are not our choice (You have to pay taxes). However you are more likely to see must used on signs and in formal situations.
All of the modal verbs remain the same in the 3rd person (i.e. I must, You must, He/She must) except for have to (3rd person is has to).
All of the modal verbs are followed by a verb in the infinitive (I shouldn't smoke)
The past tense of must is had to. The past tense of have to is also had to.
Have to is never contracted. "I have to go to work" NOT "I've to go to work"