modals: special difficulties (4)

4.- MUST IN THE PAST

In indirect speech you can use must or had to, but only had to in direct speech:

The boss told me that I must /had to get to work earlier - el jefe me dijo que debía/tenía que llegar más temprano al trabajo.

He had to sell his house - tuvo que vender su casa.

Practice-4

Turn the following sentences into the past

a.- My father always tells me that I must respect my teachers.

b.- My husband is away, so I must walk the dog.

c.- He must retire at 55 owing to bad health.

d.- The cleaning lady is ill, so I must make the beds.

KEY TO PRACTICE -4

a.- My father always told me that I must/had to respect my teachers. b.- My husband was away, so I had to walk the dog. c.- He had to retire at 55 owing to bad health. d.- The cleaning lady was ill, so I had to make the beds.