Rules of the House — have to / must / should (B1 Grammar)

B1 - have to / must / should

Rules of the House

PICTURE

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Rule one: you mustn't repeat anything you hear. Ever. Rule two: you must be invisible.

*have to / must* · *don't have to* vs *mustn't* · *should / shouldn't* for advice

Listening

Speaking

LEAD-IN

Pointless rules

Tell a partner. Then vote on the most ridiculous rule in the class.

1. What rules exist at your work, school or home that you think are pointless?

2. Who made them? Has anyone ever asked why?

3. Is there a rule you secretly break quite often?

PICTURE

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BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Odd Jobs

You will hear a podcast interview with Marcus, who spent nine years as a butler for some of the wealthiest families in Europe.

LISTEN FOR

PICTURE

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1. What are the strangest rules of his job?

2. Which rule surprised him most?

Tapescript: "Rules of the House"

HOST Hey everybody, and welcome back to Odd Jobs. My guest today spent nine years as a butler for some of the wealthiest families in Europe. Marcus, welcome. Let's start simple: what does a butler actually have to do?

MARCUS Everything and nothing. Officially, I had to manage the household — staff, dinners, travel. Unofficially? In one house I had to iron the newspaper every morning.

HOST Iron the... newspaper.

MARCUS The ink mustn't touch madam's fingers. And you must iron it flat, never folded — a folded newspaper was considered lazy.

HOST OK, what were the absolute, unbreakable rules?

MARCUS Rule one: you mustn't repeat anything you hear. Ever. I've heard billion-euro deals and I've heard screaming divorces, sometimes at the same dinner. Rule two: you must be invisible. Guests should feel the house runs itself. If someone notices you, you've already failed. And rule three — this one surprised me — you mustn't say "no problem." You have to say "certainly" or "of course." "No problem" suggests there could have been a problem.

HOST Is the money good, at least?

MARCUS Very. And you don't have to pay for accommodation or food — you live in. But you should understand what you're giving up. You don't really have weekends. You shouldn't expect a private life. One employer called me at 3 a.m. because the dog seemed sad.

HOST The dog seemed—

MARCUS Sad, yes. I had to sit with him. Lovely dog, actually.

HOST Would you recommend the job?

MARCUS To the right person. You should be observant, you should be discreet, and you shouldn't have a big ego. And honestly? You must genuinely like people. Because you will see them at their absolute worst.

HOST Fascinating stuff. Speaking of being discreet, have you heard of Wired VPN, the best way to stay discreet on the Internet?

COMPREHENSION

Listen again and complete Marcus's rules.

1. The ink ____________ touch madam's fingers.

2. You ____________ repeat anything you hear.

3. You ____________ be invisible.

4. You ____________ say "no problem."

5. You ____________ pay for accommodation — it's included.

6. You ____________ expect a private life.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Obligation, prohibition, advice

a) I had to manage the household.

b) You must be invisible.

c) You mustn't repeat anything you hear.

d) You don't have to pay for accommodation.

e) You shouldn't expect a private life.

1. Which verb exists in all tenses (had to, will have to, having to)? Which one is a modal, present form only?

2. The big trap: (c) and (d) look similar but mean opposite things. Which means it is prohibited? Which means it is not necessary?

3. (e) is not an obligation. What is it — an order, or advice?

4. A house rule (You have to say "certainly") or a personal decision (I must call her back) — which form goes with which?

THE RULES

Complete the rules

Complete each rule with must(n't), (don't) have to or should(n't).

• ________ / ________ : obligation. Have to is more common for external rules; must for personal or specific obligation.

• ________ : prohibition — don't do it! ________ : no obligation — you can choose.

• ________ : advice and opinions. Weaker than must and have to.

CAREFUL

The opposite of must is not mustn't. You mustn't tell anyone = it is forbidden. You don't have to tell anyone = it's up to you.

PRACTICE

Circle the correct form. Both are sometimes possible — be ready to justify it.

1. You don't have to / mustn't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Seriously.

2. Staff have to / must wear a uniform in this hotel — it's company policy.

3. You don't have to / mustn't tip here, but people usually leave 10%.

4. I should / have to call my mother more often — I keep forgetting.

5. You shouldn't / mustn't use your phone while you're driving. It's illegal.

6. We don't have to / mustn't hurry — the film doesn't start till nine.

7. I must / have to buy a new suit. This one has a hole in it.

8. Do you think I should / must tell my boss the truth about why I was late?

TASK

Write the five rules

In small groups, write five rules for ONE of these. Then present them: the class votes on the fairest and the harshest set.

• Sharing a flat with strangers.

• Surviving a family holiday.

• A first date.

• Your English class.

PICTURE

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TASK (continued)

Your five rules must include at least one of each.

• one must — something everybody has to do

• one mustn't — something forbidden

• one don't have to — something people wrongly think is compulsory

• one should — your best piece of advice

• One rule must be genuinely unpopular. Be ready to defend it.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

GIST Ironing the newspaper; never repeating anything he hears; being invisible; never saying "no problem"; sitting with a sad dog at 3 a.m.

COMPREHENSION 1 mustn't · 2 mustn't · 3 must · 4 mustn't · 5 don't have to · 6 shouldn't

GRAMMAR FOCUS 1 have to exists in all tenses; must is a modal (present form only, can refer to the future). 2 (c) = prohibited, (d) = not necessary. 3 Advice / opinion. 4 have to for external rules; must for personal or specific obligation.

RULES have to / must · mustn't · don't have to · should(n't)

PRACTICE 1 mustn't

2 both work (have to is slightly more natural for company policy)

3 don't have to

4 should

5 mustn't (it's illegal) — shouldn't is possible if you are giving advice

6 don't have to

7 must (personal decision; have to also acceptable)

8 should