Obligation, necessity and permission

1- When I was 13, I ________________ go out alone.

didn't need to \ was allowed to \ had to
This is permission in the past. Could is also possible.

2- Most working people ___________ pay tax every year.

have to \ can\ must
This is necessary, but the obligation does not come from the
speaker. The speaker is simply describing the situation.

3- You ____________ drive a car unless you have a licence.

are not allowed to \ mustn't \ don't need to
This is permission. Can't is also possible.
4- It's Tom's birthday. I ___________ remember to get him a card.
have to \ must \ need to
This is strong obligation - reminding yourself of something
important.

5- You ______________ play near the road. You'll be run over and
killed!
may not \ don't need to \ mustn't
This is strong obligation from a parent to a child. The parent wants
to make it clear.

6- You __________ do what you like when you reach the age of
18. You don't have to do what your parents say.
Must \ need to \ can
This is permission. Are allowed to is also possible.

7- We ___________ bring our toys to school but we could only

play with them at break time.
May \ could \ had to
This is permission in the past. Were allowed to is also possible.

8- I _____________ do any housework until I was 11.

didn't have to \ couldn't \ hadn't to
This is negative obligation in the past - it wasn't necessary for you
to do housework.

9- The museum is free on Wednesdays - you ___________ pay

anything.
mustn't \ can't \ don't have to
It is not necessary to pay.

10- In most countries, children ___________ go to school until

they are 15 or 16.
Can \ have to \ must
This is necessary, but the obligation does not come from the
speaker. The speaker is simply describing the situation

11- Sorry I'm late; I __________ go to the bank on my way here.

Could \ had to \ must
This is obligation in the past.

12- Fire Exit. Luggage ______________ be left here.

Cannot \ doesn't have to \ must not
This is an important (written, impersonal) rule. It would be
dangerous to block the fire exit.

13- In many countries you _________________ bring in a small

amount of alcohol without paying tax.
are allowed to \ need to\ have to
This is permission. Can is also possible.

14- I love Sundays as I ______________ get up early.

don't have to \ mustn't \ can't
It is not necessary to get up early on Sunday.
15- Letters for posting ___________ be put in the outgoing mail
box before 5 pm.
Could \ must \ need to
This is an important (written, impersonal) rule. (If you don't do it,
your letter won't be posted.)

16- I ________________ watch TV after nine o'clock on weekdays

when I was a child.
didn't need to \ hadn't to \ wasn't allowed to
This is permission in the past. Couldn't is also possible.

Prepositions

Nouns, verbs, adjectives and participles are often combined with

Prepositions.

Each such combination has a separate meaning, sometimes totally

different from the main word.
Such a preposition, in combination with a noun or a verb or an
adjective or a participle is called Prepositional Phrase.

Here are few examples of sentences with such Prepositional

Phrases.

Such Prepositional Phrases are called IDIOMS.

The idioms have fixed meanings.

Examples:

• Every citizen should abide by the laws of his country.

• This lake abounds in fish.

• Rajeev Gandhi started his Prime Ministership with an abundance

of goodwill from Indians.

• Why were you absent from the class yesterday?

• When I entered the room, I found my father absorbed in deep

thought.

• The Judge refused to accede to the request of the accused to

release him on bail.

• I regret that your proposal is acceptable to me.

• Gupta is known to all the politicians, and has ready access to a

number of ministers.

• The engineer was accused of taking a bribe from the contractor.

• Are you acquainted with this neighborhood?

• The accused was acquitted of the charges of perjury.

• You have to adopt yourself to the changing times.

Note:
Quite often, as in the previous case and in the following case, the
main word and the preposition may be separated by other
intervening words.

• I was dissuaded by my uncle from applying for that job.

• I was not aware of your presence at the meeting.

• Do you expect the teacher to be fair in awarding marks for the

essays?

1. Phrasal verb is formed by combining a verb with a preposition.

Examples:

• The boy, who pleaded guilty to stealing the pen, was

admonished by the Judge.

• Cunning is the quality that is popularly attributed to the fox.

• Known to be highly irritable, my uncle is avoided by all the

children.

• Small pox vaccine is produced by introducing the virus into the

bloodstream of a horse.

2. The word consider:

The word consider should be used without preposition following it.

The uses of the phrases ‘consider as’, ‘consider to be’ and

‘consider as being’ are wrong.

Example:

• Mahatma Gandhi is considered as one of the greatest Indians.

This sentence is wrong one.

The correct sentence is:

• Mahatma Gandhi is considered one of the greatest Indians.

3. The word regard:

The correct phrase involving ‘regard’ is ‘regard as’. The phrases

‘regarding to be’ and ‘regarding as being’ are wrong ones.

Example:

• The writer Alice Walker regards Steve Wonder to be a spiritual

singer rather than a pop singer.

This is an incorrect sentence.

The correct sentence is:

• The writer Alice Walker regards Steve Wonder as a spiritual

singer rather than as a pop singer.

Examples:

• This advertisement is aimed at teenagers.

• This columnist was accurate in predicting the outcome of the

elections.

Now let us see how the idioms are used in the sentences.

Many verbs when followed by various prepositions or adverbs

acquire the idiomatic expressions.

Examples:

• He seems to be well off. (In comfortable position)

• That fellow trumped up a story. (Fabricated)

• He is sticking out for better terms. (Persisting in demanding)

• I threatened to show him up. (Expose)

• During her long illness, she often longed for health. (Desired)

• About an hour ago, I saw a fellow hanging about our bungalow.

(Loitering about)

• Rust has eaten away the iron. (Corroded)

Many such Prepositional Phrases get their figurative meanings

which are quite different from eh meanings of the main words.