B11. Big Joe

have to/don't have to for obligation

 
One day, on a London bus, the driver was taking the fares from new passengers when an enormous man with huge muscles got onto the bus. The driver asked for the money for the ticket, but the man just shook his head and said,
    ‘I’m Big Joe, and I don’t have to pay!’
    The bus driver wasn’t a strong man and he didn’t want to argue with this giant, so the man got on the bus without paying.
     The next day at the same bus stop, the enormous man was there again, and  like the day before, when it was his turn to pay for his ticket, he just said,
    ‘I’m Big Joe, and I don’t have to pay.’
 
After a few weeks of this, the bus driver was really starting to get angry, so he decided to join a gym. He worked out every day for three months, until his muscles were bulging and he could pick up tables with one arm.
     One Monday, the bus driver decided that today was the day. As usual, the enormous man got on the bus as usual and announced,
    ‘I’m Big Joe, and I don’t have to pay.’
    This time, the bus driver was brave enough to stand up and tell the man,
    ‘Why not? Of course you have to pay. Everyone has to pay!’
    The man looked at him in surprised silence for a few seconds and then slowly answered,
    ‘Because Big Joe has a bus pass.’

Grammar: have to/don't have to

Use have to + infinitive to talk about things which are important to do, or things which are necessary to do. We often use this to talk about rules and regulations.


Use don't / doesn't have to + infinitive to talk about things where there are no rules. You can do these things if you want to, but there is no obligation.

Complete these sentences with one of these phrases:

1.     I ________ go right now. I'm very late!

2.     It's OK - you ________ do anything. Just sit there and wait for me.

3.     Wait for Greg. He ________ make sure that the door is locked.

4.     A good student ________ be very organized. Organization is  very important.
5.     It's a free museum - we ________ pay anything.

6.     At the end of the year the students ________take an exam. It's necessary for them to continue the course.

7.     I know you don't like supermarkets so you ________ to come if you don't want to.

8.     We ________ make sure that our hands are very clean.

9.     We ________ go into college today because it's Sunday so it will be closed.

10.  You ________ be more careful! I don't want you to break it!

11.   Do I ________ come? I don't really want to.

Vocabulary exercises

Choose the right word to complete these sentences.

Match the broken sentences.