MODALS FOR NECESSITY (MUST NOT vs. DON'T HAVE TO)

Hello everyone. Happy Friday to you. I hope you have had an excellent week.

Although we have mentioned the topic of today's Daily Vitamin already, I wanted to dedicate today's short lesson to it again, just to make sure it's clear.

Today we are comparing DON'T HAVE TO with MUST NOT / MUSTN'T.

When I tell someone that they don't have to do something, I'm telling them that they are not obliged to do it. However, they can if they want. 

Example 1 (lack of obligation):
Mark, if you don't want to, you don't have to go to the supermarket. I can go later. Don't worry about it.

Example 2 (negative oblitation):
Mark, you must not go to the supermarket. The doctor told you to stay in bed, so I will not allow you to leave the house. 

Example 2 (negative obligation):
Mark, you mustn't go to work in the morning; you are ill and we are in the middle of a pandemic. Stay home and avoid spreading your illness to your work colleagues. You can work from home. 

Again, if you have any questions about this difference, please post them on one of our social media sites (Facebook or Twitter) and we will answer your questions as soon as possible. 

Remember, Monday is a bank holiday in Spain, so there will be no Daily Vitamin on Monday. We'll see you on Tuesday for another lesson. 

Have a great day, and an excellent weekend!