Behaviour, Rules and Laws
Primary 6 · English
Behaviour, Rules and Laws
Lesson 4 of 6
40 min
At a zebra crossing in Kigali, the cars stop and people walk across safely. On the moto, both the driver and the passenger wear helmets. Often, nobody is standing there to make them do it. They follow the law.
Why do countries need laws? How are they made? And how do we talk about rules in English? Let's find out.
This text is adapted from the Simple English Wikipedia article Law.
A law is a rule made by a country or another authority to keep people safe and to keep peace in society. Courts and the police help to make sure that laws are obeyed. People who break the law can be punished, for example by paying a fine (money paid as a punishment) or by going to prison.
Long ago, leaders wrote laws that told people how they should live and work, and how they should trade with each other. Today, in most countries, laws are written and voted on by a group of people chosen by the citizens, such as a parliament. Many countries also have a constitution: the most important law, which sets out how the country is organised. Other laws deal with smaller details.
People are free to do anything that is legal (allowed by law). An activity is illegal if it breaks a law.
The rule of law means that everybody, including the leaders, must obey the law. When leaders use the law honestly, even on themselves and their friends, the rule of law is being followed. More than 2,000 years ago, the Greek thinker Aristotle wrote that “the rule of law is better than the rule of any individual.”
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
Who helps to make sure that laws are obeyed?
The courts and the police.
What is the difference between legal and illegal?
Legal means allowed by law. Illegal means it breaks a law.
What does “the rule of law” mean?
Everybody, including the leaders, must obey the law.
Look at the photo. Name two rules that keep these road users safe.
Moto drivers and passengers must wear helmets. People should cross the road at the zebra crossing, and drivers must stop for them.
What is the difference between a rule and a law?
A rule is made for one place or group, such as a school or a family. A law is made for the whole country, and the courts can punish people who break it.
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | it is required | Moto passengers must wear a helmet. |
| mustn't | it is forbidden | You mustn't cross when the light is red. |
| have to | it is required (often by someone else) | Pupils have to wear uniform. |
| don't have to | it is not necessary, but it is allowed | It's a holiday, so we don't have to wear uniform. |
| shall | in written laws and formal rules, it means must | Every pupil shall respect school property. |
| should / should not | the right way to behave | You should not throw litter on the road. |
| ought to | the same as should | Drivers ought to slow down near schools. |
| may / may not | it is allowed / not allowed | Pupils may use the library at break. You may not use phones in class. |
| will | what will surely follow | Anyone who breaks this rule will be punished. |
| might | what could happen | If you drive too fast, you might cause an accident. |
Mustn't and don't have to look alike, but they are opposites in meaning. You mustn't go means “going is forbidden”. You don't have to go means “you can stay if you want”.
law · rule · obey · break a law · punish · fine · legal · illegal · parliament · constitution · authority · citizen
Tip
Mustn't = it's forbidden. Don't have to = it's not necessary.
They look like twins, but they mean very different things!
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Choose: You (mustn't / don't have to) cross the road when the light is red.
Answer: mustn't (it is forbidden)
Choose: Tomorrow is a holiday, so we (mustn't / don't have to) wear uniform.
Answer: don't have to (it isn't necessary)
Rewrite as a formal school rule with shall: Pupils must arrive before 7:30 a.m.
Answer: Every pupil shall arrive before 7:30 a.m.
Legal or illegal in Rwanda: riding on a moto without a helmet?
Answer: illegal
Write two rules for your classroom: one with must, one with should not.
Answer: Example: Pupils must raise their hands before they speak. We should not leave rubbish under our desks.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each modal to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
