Modal Verbs of Obligation and Prohibition ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets
Do you have to...?
In this free have to speaking activity, students conduct a survey where they ask and answer yes/no questions to find out what people have to and don't have to do. First, in groups, students create the Do you... read more
Modal Madness
Here is a productive should and shouldn't game to help students practice the modal verbs should and shouldn't for obligation and prohibition. In groups, students take turns turning over one situation... read more
Those Are the Rules
In this useful must and mustn't information gap activity, students ask and answer questions with must and mustn't to complete a set of rules for different situations. In pairs, students take turns asking... read more
Class Contracts
In this light-hearted modal verbs of obligation and prohibition activity, students write an imaginary classroom contract for their teacher. In groups, students read the student contract on the worksheet... read more
David's Day
This free modal verbs of obligation worksheet helps to teach students how to express obligation with have to and has to. First, students write sentences about what David has to do today by looking... read more
How to...
In this engaging modal verbs of obligation game, students complete sentences expressing obligation for How to topics and then use the sentences in a guessing game. In pairs, students think of... read more
It's Prohibited
In this useful modal verbs of prohibition worksheet, students practice can't, mustn't and may not to communicate prohibited actions in a variety of situations... read more
It's the Law
Here is an insightful can and can't activity to help students practice can for permission and can't for prohibition by discussing international laws and guessing which ones are true and false. First... read more
Obligation Game
In this creative modal verbs of obligation game, students make sentences about what people must do or be if they want to be successful in a particular job. Write the name of a job on the board... read more
Perfect People
In this free must and mustn't speaking activity, students write and discuss how they would like people to behave in a perfect world using the modal verbs must for obligation and mustn't for prohibition... read more
Running Rules
In this enjoyable modal verbs of obligation running dictation activity, students practice completing and writing rules for various places. One student is the... read more
Ten Rules for English Class
In this handy modal verbs of obligation and prohibition activity, students write ten rules for studying in English class using must, should and have to. In pairs... read more
The Modal Hotel
In this imaginative modal verbs of obligation and prohibition activity, students use modal verbs to make rules for guests and staff in a hotel using must, mustn't, have... read more
Who has to do what?
This rewarding modal verbs of obligation activity can be used to help students practice have to, has to, don’t have to, and doesn’t have to. In pairs, students... read more
Job Descriptions
In this free have to and must game, students guess jobs from clues that contain expressions of obligation and prohibition with must, mustn't, have to, and don't have to. There are six clues for each... read more
School Rules
In this productive modal verbs of obligation and prohibition worksheet, students practice expressing obligation and prohibition with can't, have to and don't have... read more
Should Survey
In this interesting should and shouldn't speaking activity, students practice asking and answering yes/no questions with should. This activity can be used to practice the modal verbs should and... read more
Three Things
In this fun modal verbs of obligation and prohibition board game, students review how to express past and present obligation, lack of obligation, and prohibition. Students take it in turns to roll the dice and... read more
What do you think?
In this thought-provoking have to and should speaking activity, students decide and discuss how strongly they agree or disagree with statements containing modal verbs and expressions of obligation... read more
When you were young...
This memorable past obligation speaking activity helps to teach students how to express obligation in the past with had to and didn't have to. In the activity, students ask and answer questions about... read more
Where is it?
In this entertaining modal verbs of obligation and prohibition activity, students play a guessing game where they describe places and situations using modal verbs and expressions of obligation... read more
When you were a child
In this free past modal verbs of obligation and prohibition speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about what they were and weren’t allowed to do and had to do when they were a child. This activity... read more