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The Magic of Mnemonics · Module 30
What you will learn

Module 30 — Obligation & Advice

I can say what people have to do, what generally must be done, and what someone should do.

I04 · I05 · I06 · A2 · Contemporary Mexican Spanish

Lesson 1 — Learn & Recall

Personal Obligation: tener que

Lesson 1 · Have To: Singular

PersonSpanishEnglish
ITengo que trabajar.I have to work.
you — informal singularTienes que estudiar.You have to study.
he / she / you — formal singularTiene que leer.He/She/You have to read.
Change the form oftenerfor the person. Keepqueand keep the following action in the infinitive.

Lesson 2 · Have To: Plural

PersonSpanishEnglish
weTenemos que hablar.We have to speak.
they / you allTienen que comer.They/You all have to eat.
In Mexican Spanish,tienen quealso servesustedes— you all.
Lesson 2 — Build & Connect

General Obligation: hay que

Lesson 3 · Hay Que — General Obligation

Hay que trabajar.— People generally have to work / One has to work.

Hay que estudiar.— People generally have to study / One has to study.

hay quedoes not name a specific person. Use it when the obligation is general rather than assigned to a particular subject.
Lesson 3 — Compare Spanish and English

Basic Advice: deber

Lesson 4 · Deber — Should

PersonSpanishEnglish
IDebo estudiar.I should study.
you — informal singularDebes leer.You should read.
he / she / you — formal singularDebe trabajar.He/She/You should work.
weDebemos hablar.We should speak.
they / you allDeben comer.They/You all should eat.
In Module 30,deber + infinitiveis learned only as basicshould / ought toadvice.

Specific person

Tengo que trabajar.

I have to work.

General obligation

Hay que trabajar.

People generally have to work.

Basic advice

Debo trabajar.

I should work.

Later meanings and softer/later advice forms are intentionally not part of this module.

What you are learning

Practice It Five Ways recall

Direct practice

Say: “I have to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Tengo que estudiar.” mean in English?

Changed action

Say: “I have to read.”

pattern recall

Build the personal obligation: I + have to + speak.

Precision recall

Say: “I have to eat.”

Direct practice

Say informally to one person: “You have to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Tienes que estudiar.” mean in English?

Changed action

Informal singular: “You have to read.”

pattern recall

Informal singular: “You have to speak.”

Precision recall

Informal singular: “You have to eat.”

Direct practice

Say: “He/She has to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Tiene que estudiar.” mean in English?

Formal-person recall

Formal singular you: “You have to read.”

Changed action

Say: “He/She has to speak.”

Precision recall

Say: “He/She has to eat.”

Direct practice

Say: “We have to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Tenemos que estudiar.” mean in English?

Changed action

Say: “We have to read.”

pattern recall

Say: “We have to speak.”

Precision recall

Say: “We have to eat.”

Direct practice

Say: “They have to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Tienen que estudiar.” mean in English?

Ustedes recall

Say to a group: “You all have to read.”

Changed action

Say: “They have to speak.”

Precision recall

Say: “They have to eat.”

Direct practice

Say generally: “One/people have to work.”

Meaning check

What does “Hay que estudiar.” mean in English?

Changed action

Say generally: “One/people have to read.”

General-v-person distinction

No specific person is named. Say: “People generally have to speak.”

Precision recall

Say generally: “One/people have to eat.”

First-person advice

Say: “I should study.”

Informal advice

Say informally to one person: “You should read.”

Third/formal advice

Say: “He/She should work.”

We advice

Say: “We should speak.”

They/ustedes advice

Say: “They should eat.”

What you learned

Review & Reuse

Review 1

Module 30 review 1: Say: “I have to work.”

Review 2

Module 30 review 2: Informal singular: “You have to study.”

Review 3

Module 30 review 3: Say: “He/She has to read.”

Review 4

Module 30 review 4: Say: “We have to speak.”

Review 5

Module 30 review 5: Say: “They have to eat.”

Review 6

Module 30 review 6: No person is named: “People generally have to work.”

Review 7

Module 30 review 7: No person is named: “One has to study.”

Review 8

Module 30 review 8: Say: “I should read.”

Review 9

Module 30 review 9: Informal singular: “You should study.”

Review 10

Module 30 review 10: Say: “He/She should work.”

Review 11

Module 30 review 11: Say: “We should eat.”

Review 12

Module 30 review 12: Say: “They should speak.”

Review 13

Module 30 review 13: Formal singular you: “You should read.”

Review 14

Module 30 review 14: Say: “I have to work.”

Review 15

Module 30 review 15: Informal singular: “You have to study.”

Review 16

Module 30 review 16: Say: “He/She has to read.”

Review 17

Module 30 review 17: Say: “We have to speak.”

Review 18

Module 30 review 18: Say: “They have to eat.”

Review 19

Module 30 review 19: No person is named: “People generally have to work.”

Review 20

Module 30 review 20: No person is named: “One has to study.”

Review 21

Module 30 review 21: Say: “I should read.”

Review 22

Module 30 review 22: Informal singular: “You should study.”

Review 23

Module 30 review 23: Say: “He/She should work.”

Review 24

Module 30 review 24: Say: “We should eat.”

Review 25

Module 30 review 25: Say: “They should speak.”

Review 26

Module 30 review 26: Formal singular you: “You should read.”

Review 27

Module 30 review 27: Say: “I have to work.”

Review 28

Module 30 review 28: Informal singular: “You have to study.”

Review 29

Module 30 review 29: Say: “He/She has to read.”

Review 30

Module 30 review 30: Say: “We have to speak.”

Review 31

Module 30 review 31: Say: “They have to eat.”

Review 32

Module 30 review 32: No person is named: “People generally have to work.”

Review 33

Module 30 review 33: No person is named: “One has to study.”

Review 34

Module 30 review 34: Say: “I should read.”

Review 35

Module 30 review 35: Informal singular: “You should study.”

Review 36

Module 30 review 36: Say: “He/She should work.”

Review 37

Module 30 review 37: Say: “We should eat.”

later review 1

later review 1: Say: “I am going to work this afternoon.”

later review 2

later review 2: Ask informally: “Are you going to study tonight?”

later review 3

later review 3: Say: “We are going to read together.”

later review 4

later review 4: Ask: “Whose is it?”

later review 5

later review 5: Say: “Nobody comes.”

later review 6

later review 6: React: “How difficult!”

later review 7

later review 7: Say: “I need help. I don't understand.”

later review 8

later review 8: Say: “The meeting is at the hotel.”

later review 9

later review 9: Say: “It is cold.”

later review 10

later review 10: Say: “I like coffee.”

later review 11

later review 11: Say: “I am working.”

later review 12

later review 12: Say: “I get dressed.”

later review 13

later review 13: Say: “I always work.”

Build & Connect

Combined Practice

Combined a new situation 1

Combined task 1: Say two ideas: “I have to work. People generally have to study.”

Combined a new situation 2

Combined task 2: Say: “You have to read. You should study.” — informal singular.

Combined a new situation 3

Combined task 3: Say: “He/She has to work. He/She should read.”

Combined a new situation 4

Combined task 4: Say: “We have to speak. We should study.”

Combined a new situation 5

Combined task 5: Say: “They have to eat. They should work.”

Combined a new situation 6

Combined task 6: No person is named for the first idea: “People generally have to read. I should study.”

Combined a new situation 7

Combined task 7: Say: “I have to study. I am going to work this afternoon.”

Combined a new situation 8

Combined task 8: Say: “We have to read. We are going to speak together.”

Combined a new situation 9

Combined task 9: Say: “They have to work. It is cold.”

Combined a new situation 10

Combined task 10: Say: “You should read. I like coffee.” — informal singular.

Combined a new situation 11

Combined task 11: Say: “People generally have to work. Nobody comes.”

Combined a new situation 12

Combined task 12: Say: “He/She should study. He/She is working.”

Show What You Can Do

Apply & Communicate

Show What You Can Do 1

Apply task 1: Choose the correct three patterns: “I have to work. People generally have to study. I should read.”

Show What You Can Do 2

Apply task 2: Address one person informally: “You have to study. You should read.” Then give a general rule: “People have to work.”

Show What You Can Do 3

Apply task 3: Talk about another person: “He/She has to read. He/She should study.” Then give a general obligation: “People have to eat.”

Show What You Can Do 4

Apply task 4: Use plural forms: “We have to speak. We should study. They have to work. They should read.”

Show What You Can Do 5

Apply task 5: Combine obligation with a prior plan: “I have to study. I am going to work this afternoon. People generally have to read.”

Try Again After Reveal

extra practice in a new situation

Reveal extra practice 1

extra practice task 1: a new situation: “I have to read. People generally have to work. I should study.”

Reveal extra practice 2

extra practice task 2: Changed informal context: “You have to work. You should study. People generally have to read.”

Reveal extra practice 3

extra practice task 3: Changed third-person context: “He/She has to study. He/She should work. People generally have to speak.”

Reveal extra practice 4

extra practice task 4: Changed plural context: “We have to eat. We should read. They have to study. They should work.”

Reveal extra practice 5

extra practice task 5: Changed plan context: “I have to work. I am going to study tonight. People generally have to eat.”

You can now

Ready to continue

You can choosetener quefor a specific person's obligation,hay quefor a general obligation, anddeber + infinitivefor basic should/advice in the exact Module 30 pattern.