Modal verbs expressing prohibition
Модальные глаголы, выражающие запрет
When we talk about prohibition (запрет на совершение действия), we mean that something is not allowed, something is forbidden. The main verbs expressing prohibition are:
mustn’t,
can’t;
may not.
Модальный глагол must для передачи запрета
Must is a modal auxiliary verb followed by an infinitive without “to”.
Negative structure is formed by adding “not”: subject + must not/mustn’t + main verb (infinitive without to). (см. рис. 1)
Пример:
You must not arrive late.
Рис. 1. Negative structure
The prohibition can be:
subjective (the speaker’s opinion);
objective (a real law or rule).
Пример:
I mustn’t eat so much sugar. (subjective)
You mustn’t watch so much television. (subjective)
Students must not leave bicycles here. (objective)
Policemen must not drink on duty. (objective)
We can you mustn’t to talk about the present or the future.
Пример:
Visitors must not smoke. (present)
I mustn’t forget about Tara’s birthday. (future)
We cannot use mustn’t to talk about the past. We use the structure to be not allowed to.
Пример:
We were not allowed to enter.
I wasn’t allowed to park here.
Unlike mustn’t, to be not allowed to can be used in all tenses.
Пример:
I am not allowed to see them. (present) – Мне не разрешено видеться с ними.
He won’t be allowed to do it. (future) – Ему не разрешат сделать это.
They were not allowed to stay there. (past) – Им не разрешили остаться там.
Sometimes we use the structure must not + have + past participle to express a present prohibition which relates to the past (запрещение, имеющее отношение к прошлому).
Пример:
To participate in the exchange programme, students mustn’t have visited the USA within the last year.
Couldn’t and not allowed to
Sometimes we can use couldn’t to talk about prohibition in the past.
But the use of couldn’t can be confused with past ability. That’s why the structure to be not allowed to is clearer.
Пример:
A: I couldn’t take any photographs.
B: Really? Was your camera broken or something?
A: No, I wasn’t allowed to. It was against the rules.
Mustn’t и don’t have to
В отличие от утвердительных форм глаголов must и have to, которые могут быть взаимозаменяемыми, отрицательные формы mustn’t и don’t have to несут совершенно разный смысл.
Пример:
You mustn’t go. = You can’t go. It’s prohibited. – Тебе нельзя идти.
You don’t have to go. = You can go if you want, but it’s not obligatory/necessary. – Тебе не обязательно идти.
You mustn’t drive along this street. – It’s prohibited, against the law. – Движение по этой улице запрещено.
You don’t have to drive – we can get a train. = You can drive if you want to but it’s not necessary/obligatory. – Тебе не обязательно садиться за руль – мы можем поехать на поезде.
Упражнение 1
Complete the sentences with mustn’t or don’t have to.
1. It is forbidden. You do that.
2. You ask my permission. You can do what you want.
3. You speak to the driver when the bus is moving. It’s dangerous.
4. Help yourself to anything you want. You ask.
5. You _____________ park here. There is a double yellow line.
6. Pay me back when you can. You ___________ do it immediately.
Ответы к упражнению:
1. Mustn’t
2. Don’t have to
3. Mustn’t
4. Don’t have to
5. Mustn’t
6. Don’t have to
Задания повышенной сложности
Complete the sentences with mustn’t or don’t have to.
1. It’s optional. We ___________ go if you don’t want to.
2. Whatever you do, you ___________ click with the right mouse button or the program will crash.
3. I’ll tell you a secret. You ____________ tell anybody else. Promise?
4. Be on time. You ___________ be late or we will leave without you.
5. He’s a millionaire. He ____________ work but he does because he enjoys it.
6. I like Saturdays because I ___________ go to work.
7. This is very important. You ____________ forget what I said.
8. It’s very informal here. You ___________ wear a tie unless you want to.
9. The train is direct. You ____________ change trains.
10. In boxing, you ____________ hit your opponent below the belt.
11. I ____________ wear a suit at work on Fridays. It’s “dressing down day”.
12. In athletics, you _________ start before the gun is fired.
13. In the game of bridge, you ___________ look at other people’s cards.
Ответы:
1. Don’t have to
2. Mustn’t
3. Mustn’t
4. Mustn’t
5. Doesn’t have to
6. Don’t have to
7. Mustn’t
8. Don’t have to
9. Don’t have to
10. Mustn’t
11. Don’t have to
12. Mustn’t
13. Mustn’t
Модальный глагол can’t для передачи запрета
Утвердительная форма модального глагола can может описывать навык или умение, а также используется для передачи разрешения на какое-то действие. Отрицательная форма can’t используется, чтобы сообщить о запрете (см. рис. 2).
Пример:
You can’t park here, sir.
I’m sorry, but you can’t stay here.
You can wear jeans, but you can’t wear trainers in that bar.
May I come with you? – I’m afraid you can’t.
Can’t is a more informal way to express external prohibition (like laws, rules and regulations). In other words, can’t tells us that something is against the rules.
Рис. 2. They can’t
Mustn’t is usually used when the obligation comes from the person who is speaking and it’s much stronger than can’t.
Модальный глагол may not для передачи запрета
We usually use may to talk about asking and giving permission.
Пример:
Visitors may use the contents of the website for personal use only.
May not is more formal than can’t and is less common in everyday English. May not is not as strong as mustn’t and is less common that can’t. May not is a negative form of the modal verb may. May not expressing prohibition has only one form and cannot be used to talk about the past or the future (см. рис. 3).
Пример:
You may not smoke in here.
Guests may not cook food in the rooms.
Visitors maynot use the employee restrooms – facilities are available in the foyer.
Non-committee members maynot vote on committee issues.
Рис. 3. May not.
Упражнение 2
Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentences.
1. You mustn’t/don’t have to use pencil in this examination. Only pen.
2. You mustn’t/may not touch the wire. It’s dangerous.
3. You couldn’t/mustn’t disturb him during his work!
4. The sign says, “No parking”. That means you cannot/mustn’t to leave your car here.
5. You mustn’t/can’t to speak when the teacher is speaking.
6. You don’t have to buy/cannot buy cigarettes in British Columbia unless you are 18 years of age. That is the law.
Ответы к упражнению:
1. Mustn’t
2. Mustn’t
3. Mustn’t
4. Cannot
5. Mustn’t
6. Cannot
Вопросы к конспектам
1. Complete these sentences using don't/doesn't/didn't have to + one of these verbs:
do get up go go pay shave wait work
1. I'm not working tomorrow, so I _________________ to early.
2. The car park is free-you _________________ to park your car there.
3. I went to the bank this morning. There was no queue, so I __________________.
4. Sally is extremely rich. She ____________________.
5. We've got plenty of time. We _____________________ yet.
6. Jack has got a beard, so he __________________________.
7. I'm not particularly busy. I've got a few things to do but I ____________________ them now.
8. A man was slightly injured in the accident but he _______________ to hospital.
2. Complete these sentences with mustn't or don't/doesn't have to.
1. I don't want anyone to know. You ____________ tell anyone.
2 He _____________ wear a suit to work but he usually does.
3. I can stay in bed tomorrow morning because I ______________ go to work.
4. Whatever you do, you ______________ touch that switch. It's very dangerous.
5. There's a lift in the building, so we ______________ climb the stairs.
6. You _____________ forget what I told you. It's very important.
7. Sue _________________ get up early. She gets up early because she wants to.