Period 2: FUNCTION—Talking about obligation or lack of obligation
Objectives
To learn to talking about obligation or lack of obligation
●Procedures
▇ Warming up by learning about what is obligation
Hello, class. We shall learn to talk about “obligation” or lack of “obligation”. But first what is “obligation” ?
It is a noun, meaning
1. A moral or legal duty or tie.
2. The binding power of such a duty or tie.
3. A debt of gratitude for a service.
Example:
be under obligation to her
If you have not signed a contract, you are under no obligation to (= it is not necessary to) pay them any money.
You have a legal obligation to (= The law says you must) ensure your child receives a proper education.
I haven't got time to do his work for him - I've got too many obligations as it is.
A tender conscience is a stronger obligation than a prison.
Every man has obligations which belong to his station.
Duties extend beyond obligation, and direct the affections, desires, and intentions, as well as the actions.
■Talking about obligation or lack of obligation
◆100% necessity:
You must leave straight away.
You have [got] to leave straight away.
must v. have [got] to
Generally, must shows what the speaker feels and it is the speaker's authority; have [got] to is when the speaker uses an external force which they cannot control:
doctor to patient: You've got to stop smoking.
patient to themself: I must stop smoking.
◆0% necessity:
We don't have to pay to get in.
We have not got to see the boss after all.
We needn't stay late.
These have an element of being optional, i.e. we needn't stay late but we can if we want to.
◆obligation:
You ought to call your mother.
You should call your mother.
These show that calling your mother is the right thing to do. There is no real difference between ought to and should, but ought to is perhaps a little stronger.
We use needn't to show an action is optional - I can do it if I want to. We use mustn't to say an action is forbidden - I have no choice.
■Making a dialogue talking about obligation or lack of obligation
A: I have to work all day long tomorrow.
B: You mustn't work all the time. You will ruin your health.
A: Must I return the book tomorrow?
B: Yes, you have to.
A: He had to go because of somebody's calling him that day.
B: I don’t think so. He could call back.
A: I have lots of work to do. I don’t like to work on Sundays.
B: You must do it now.
A: I have to go now.
B: But you must stay till he comes.
A: Need I attend the meeting tomorrow?
B: No, you needn’t. You could read my notes taken at the meeting then.
A: Must I hand in the paper this week?
B: No, you needn’t. You need not hand in the paper this week.
A: You ought to read these books if you want to know how to repair the motorcar.
B: But I have no time to read them.
A: You ought to bring the child here.
B: All right. I will.
A: You ought to have been here yesterday.
B: But there have been much traffic.
A: You ought not to have taken the book out of the reading-room.
B: I did not know about the rules here.
A: I have to go now.
B: But you have to cook for my child.
A: You must be here on time next time.
B: Certainly. But we must go to get the timetable ourselves.
Dialogues for Small Talk and Introductions
Part I: Read the following dialogue and answer the dialogue analysis questions that follow.
Situation: Two foreign students are sitting at a counter in a restaurantwaiting to be served. The waiter is very busy with other customers. After a few minutes, one student turns to the other and speaks.
Characters: Ali is an 18-year-old student from Saudi Arabia. He has
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