Separate not necessary from not allowedفرّق بين غير اللازم والممنوع

The idea, simply

Don’t have to means something is not necessary and you can choose: You don’t have to come early tomorrow. Mustn’t means something is not allowed: You mustn’t smoke here. This is a very common mistake because the meanings are completely different although the words look similar. You can also say don’t need to with the same meaning as don’t have to.

Examples

• You don’t have to come early tomorrow.

• You mustn’t use your phone while driving.

• We don’t need to book a table.

Lesson words

• necessaryضروري
  Is it necessary to print it?
• bookيحجز
  I booked two tickets online.
• smokeيدخّن
  You mustn’t smoke in the car.
• freeمجاني
  Entry is free on Fridays.
• tieربطة عنق
  He wore a red tie.

Lesson exercises

1. Put the words in the correct order.

   Words: come / don’t / early / have / to / tomorrow. / You

   Answer

   You don’t have to come early tomorrow.

2. Complete the gap: It is free. You don’t ___ to pay.

   Answer

   have

3. Choose the correct English sentence.

   • Students mustn’t eat in the library.
   • Students don’t must eat in the library.
   • Students mustn’t to eat in the library.
   Answer

   Students mustn’t eat in the library.

4. What does You don’t have to wear a tie mean?

   • A tie is not necessary.
   • Ties are not allowed.
   • You must wear a tie.
   Answer

   A tie is not necessary.

   Don’t have to means not necessary, so you may wear one if you like. If ties were not allowed, we would say mustn’t.

5. Tell someone what they do not need to do and what they must not do.

   Model answer

   You don’t have to come early tomorrow.

   Compare your answer with the model and check word order, capitals, and punctuation.