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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A2

Must, Have To, Don't Have To and Can't ESL Lesson Plan (A2, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A2 lesson on Must, Have To, Don't Have To and Can't, built round the theme "Rules in Public Places".

  • CEFR A2
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Modal Verbs
  • Must, Have To, Don't Have To and Can't

About this lesson

Who it is for. Elementary students who know can for ability and permission. They confuse mustn't (prohibition) with don't have to (no obligation) and say I must to go.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR A2 (Elementary)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking
Language focus
Grammar: Must, Have To, Don't Have To and Can't (Rules and Obligation)
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (rules from three places), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (club rules planning sheet), pictures of common signs (no smoking, wear a helmet, free entry, no swimming).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To present and practise must / have to (obligation), mustn't / can't (prohibition) and don't have to (no obligation), and had to for the past.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can explain the rules of places they know and write 8 rules for a new club using the four structures correctly.

  • Subsidiary aim. To read signs and rules for gist and detail.
  • Subsidiary aim. To develop speaking by designing rules for a club.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form

MeaningFormExample
Obligation (necessary)must + base verb · have to / has to + base verbYou must wear a seat belt. I have to wear a uniform. She has to work on Saturdays.
Prohibition (not allowed)mustn't + base verb · can't + base verbYou mustn't smoke here. You can't use phones in the exam.
No obligation (not necessary, but OK)don't / doesn't have to + base verbYou don't have to come on Sunday. He doesn't have to pay.
Past obligationhad to + base verbI had to stay late yesterday. (No past form of must.)
QuestionsDo I have to ...? Does she have to ...?Do we have to wear a uniform?

Meaning and use

  • must often shows the speaker's own feeling or written rules (Visitors must sign in); have to often shows external rules (I have to wear a uniform at school). At A2, treat them as very similar.
  • Key contrast: You mustn't go (= don't go!) vs You don't have to go (= it's not necessary, you can choose).

Pronunciation

  • have to /ˈhæftə/; has to /ˈhæstə/; had to /ˈhættə/.
  • mustn't /ˈmʌsnt/ – the first t is silent.

Concept-checking questions

  • You mustn't swim here. Can I swim here? (No.) Is it allowed? (No.)
  • You don't have to come on Sunday. Is it necessary to come? (No.) · Can I come if I want? (Yes.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
mustn't and don't have to confused.Traffic-light chart: red = mustn't; green = don't have to; CCQs.
I must to go.Board: must + base verb (no to); have to has its own to.
She have to work.Highlight has to for he / she / it.
I musted go.Past: had to only.

Board plan

Left: signsCentre: meaning chartRight: pronunciation
No smoking · Wear a helmet · Free entry · No swimming · Silence · Show your ticket
NECESSARY (✓ do it): must / have to / has to · NOT ALLOWED (✗ don't do it): mustn't / can't · NOT NECESSARY (choose): don't / doesn't have to · PAST: had to
have to /ˈhæftə/ · has to /ˈhæstə/ · mustn't /ˈmʌsnt/

CEFR A2 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Must, Have To, Don't Have To and Can't, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Aim: To introduce the topic of rules.

Show pictures of four signs (or draw them). Ask pairs: "Where can you see this sign? What does it mean?" (2 minutes.)

Take answers in simple language; don't correct.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the target language in context and clarify meaning, form and pronunciation.

Part A: Reading (7 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the three sets of rules. Where are they from: a library, a swimming pool or a school? Two minutes."

ICQs: "How many sets of rules?" (Three.) "What do you decide?" (Where they are from.)

Pairs check. Then students answer the True / False questions. Check as a class.

Part B: Language clarification (13 minutes)

Board three sentences from the text: You must show your library card. You mustn't eat in the library. You don't have to pay to borrow books.

Draw a three-column chart: Necessary ✓ / Not allowed ✗ / Not necessary (you choose). Students tell you where each sentence goes.

Ask the CCQs. Focus on the key contrast: mustn't vs don't have to.

Form. Elicit: must + base verb (no to); have to / has to; questions with Do / Does ... have to ...?; past had to.

Pronunciation. Drill I have to go /ˈhæftə/, She has to work /ˈhæstə/, You mustn't run /ˈmʌsnt/.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise choosing the correct form.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: choose the correct answer. Exercise B: write about your school. Seven minutes."

Pairs check and explain using the chart. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Groups, then whole class

Aim: To use the structures to create and discuss rules.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Your group is starting a new club. Choose a club and write 8 rules: necessary things, things not allowed and things that are not necessary." (10 minutes.)

ICQs: "How many rules?" (Eight.) "Do you only write things that are not allowed?" (No, all three types.)

Groups present their club and rules. Other groups ask questions: "Do we have to pay? Can we bring friends?" (8 minutes.)

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

The class votes for the best club.

Board errors heard, especially mustn't / don't have to confusion. Students correct them.

Set the homework.

Homework Write the rules for your home (8 sentences). Include two things you had to do when you were younger.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Provide the meaning chart with icons (✓, ✗, ?) on a card. Weaker groups write 5 rules instead of 8.
Stretch
Stronger students compare rules in two countries: In Sri Lanka you have to ..., but in the UK you don't have to ... They use had to to talk about past rules at primary school.

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for the pairwork in "Freer practice" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

8 out of 10 or better on Handout 2, Exercise A. The club rules use all three meanings correctly. Students no longer confuse mustn't and don't have to in the presentations.

Teacher's reflection

Was the mustn't / don't have to contrast clear? Did the club task produce accurate rules?

Handout 1: Rules

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Read the rules. Where are they from: a library, a swimming pool or a school?

Rules A

Rules B

Rules C

True (T) or False (F)?

  • You must show your card to borrow books.
  • You mustn't eat or drink.
  • You can't use your phone. Please keep it on silent.
  • You don't have to pay to borrow books. It's free!
  • You have to return books after two weeks.
  • You must have a shower before you swim.
  • You mustn't run near the water.
  • Children under 10 have to swim with an adult.
  • You don't have to bring a towel. We have towels for you.
  • Students must wear the school uniform.
  • You have to be in class by 7.30 am.
  • You can't leave the school without permission.
  • You don't have to bring lunch. The canteen is open.
  • You have to pay to borrow books. ______
  • You can run near the pool. ______
  • You have to bring a towel to the pool. ______
  • Students don't have to bring lunch. ______
RulesPlace
A
B
C

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Choose the correct answer.

B. Write about your school. Use must, have to, mustn't, can't and don't have to.

  • You (mustn't / don't have to) smoke in the hospital.
  • It's Sunday. I (mustn't / don't have to) get up early.
  • All students (have to / don't have to) wear a uniform.
  • Yesterday I (must / had to) stay late at school.
  • You (can't / don't have to) take photos in the museum. It's not allowed.
  • She (has to / have to) work on Saturdays.
  • You (must / mustn't) wear a helmet on a motorbike.
  • We (mustn't / don't have to) pay. The concert is free.
  • (Do / Must) you have to wear a tie at work?
  • You (mustn't / don't have to) touch the paintings.

Handout 3: Our New Club

Choose a club: a football club · a book club · a cooking club · a gaming club · a nature club · your idea: ______________

Our club: ______________________________

Write 8 rules.

Questions other groups ask us:

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

Necessary (must / have to)Not allowed (mustn't / can't)Not necessary (don't have to)

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Common errors to watch for

  • A: library · B: swimming pool · C: school
  • F · 2. F · 3. F · 4. T
  • mustn't · 2. don't have to · 3. have to · 4. had to · 5. can't · 6. has to · 7. must · 8. don't have to · 9. Do · 10. mustn't
ErrorCorrection
You don't have to smoke here. (meaning prohibition)You mustn't smoke here.
I must to study tonight.I must study tonight.
She have to work.She has to work.
I musted go home.I had to go home.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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