I must answer this letter. (= I have to answer this letter.)
I must answer this letter.
Forms of the modal verb must:
MUST is used in all persons and can refer to the present and future tense.
I must do it now. I have to do this now.
I must do it tomorrow. I have to do this tomorrow.
In the past tense must used only in indirect speech.
Negative form: must not (mustn’t).
Interrogative form: must I? etc.
Interrogative-negative form: must I not? (mustn’t I?), etc.
Instead of a verb must verb can be used have to in the present and future tenses, and in the present and past tenses in colloquial form it is used have got to, had got to etc.
In the past tense instead of a verb must verb used have in the past tense followed by an infinitive with to (had to) or had got to.
The interrogative form of the phrase have to is formed using the auxiliary verb to do, and have got to - by placing the verb have before the subject.
The negative form of the phrase have to is formed using the auxiliary verb to do, and have got to - by posing a negation not after the verb have.
There is no particular difference in meaning between interrogative forms in the present tense. Have I got to? And Do I have to? etc. no, but the latter is preferable for expressing habitual actions. There is no particular difference between the forms of have to in the past tense Had I (got) to? And Did I have to? etc., however the latter is preferable.
Future turnover time have to is formed in the same way as the future simple indefinite tense in the case of using any other verb.
Why does he have to go there? (=Why has he got to go there?)
Why should he go there?
I don't have to go there. (= I haven’t got to go there.)
I don't need to go there.
We didn't have to go there with John.
We didn't have to go there with John.
Did he have to go there with her?
Did he have to go there with her?
Will he have to ask her about it again?
Does he really have to ask her about this again?
I shan’t have to go to that place again.
I won't have to go there again.
Using the verbs must and have to
In the affirmative:
1. Must- to express moral obligation, obligation, imposed by someone or coming from the speaker, as well as internally realized necessity.
You must make your bed yourself.
You must make your own bed.
Go if you must.
Go if you have to (if you think it's necessary).
I must go immediately.
I need to go immediately (since it may be late, etc.).
Have to- to express an obligation, but caused by circumstances.
You will have to make your bed yourself when you join the army.
You'll have to make your own bed when you join the army. ( The army obliges you to do this.)
He has to get up at 7 o'clock.
He must get up at 7 o'clock. ( Circumstances force him - for example, he studies on the first shift.)
Please note:
For the 1st person this difference is less significant.
Have to usually used to express a common action, often repeated, turning into a habit.
Must used to express an extremely necessary, important action.
I have to be at my office at nine every day.
I have to be at work every day at 9 o'clock.
We have to water this cactus twice a month.
We have to water this cactus twice a month.
I must ring him up at 10. It’s very important.
I have to call him at 10 o'clock. This is very important.
2. Must- to express urgent advice or invitation. In such cases it is translated into Russian (necessarily) must, (certainly) must.
You must come and see our new house. It's so lovely.
You should definitely come and see our new home. He's so handsome.
You must read this article.
You should definitely read this article.
In question form:
1. Must and its equivalents have to And have got to- to express obligation and necessity. At the same time, the equivalents have to and have got to are more common in these meanings in the question than must, since they do not convey additional shades of reluctance, irritation, etc., characteristic of the use of the verb must, which means “necessarily must.”
Must I go there immediately?
Do I have to go there immediately?
When does he have to go there? (When has he got to go there?)
When should he go there?
2. Have to used more often than must to express an obligation in the future, forced from the outside.
Shall I have to answer your question? When will you have to do it?
Do I need to answer your question? When will you need to do this?
3. Have to and (less often) must used to express a common action that is often repeated.
Child: Must I clean my teeth tonight?
Child: Should I brush my teeth tonight?
Do you have to wind your watch every day?
Do you have to wind your watch every day?
In the negative form must not or need not is used.
Must not - indicates that the action is prohibited.
Need not - shows that there is no need to perform an action.
You must not speak like that to your mother.
You shouldn't talk to your mother like that.
You mustn't miss your lectures.
You shouldn't miss lectures.
If you have a headache you need not go to school.
If you have a headache, you shouldn't go to school.
In answers to questions starting with a verb must, used in an affirmative answer must, in the negative - needn't.
Mustn't also has the meaning of a categorical prohibition ( cannot, must not, prohibited), and therefore this form is typical for prohibiting messages to children, expressing warnings in advertisements, etc.
You mustn't go there anyway.
In any case, you can't go there.
Mustn’t is also used to mean “cannot” in a negative answer to the question May...? (Is it possible...?).
May I take that pen? -Can I take that pen? -
No, you mustn't. No, you can't.
2. Must used to express an assumption. At the same time, notice the difference in the use of structures
must + Indefinite Infinitive and must + Perfect Infinitive
Must + Indefinite Infinitive used to express probability, assumptions that the speaker believes
quite plausible. This combination translates it should probably be and is used in relation to action in the present tense.
They must know his address.
1. They must (probably) know his address.
2. They must know his address.
Not must be in the library now.
1. He must be in the library now.
2. He should be in the library now.
Must + Perfect Infinitive is used to express a possibility, an assumption of the same nature, but in relation to the past tense, and is also translated as it should probably be.
They must have known his address.
They must have known his address.
They must have forgotten my address.
They must (probably) have forgotten my address.
She must have gone to her parents.
She must have gone to her parents.
Features of the use of cardinal and ordinal numbers when denoting numbering in English.
Each of us has our own obligations to someone or something, be it the law, job responsibilities or a promise made to another person or to oneself. One way or another, we always owe something. We have to go to work, pay taxes, do well in school and go to college, take care of ourselves and keep our promises, and so on.
In English, two verbs are used to indicate obligation and necessity:
- Must– modal verb. Used to mean “must”, “obliged”.
- Have to is a regular verb that is also used to mean “should” and “must”
So what is the difference between these verbs and when to use which? Let's find out!
MUST
Must used in situations where the obligation is generally accepted, subordinate general standards and rules OR when you yourself think that you need to do something, you believe in it.
Example:
“We all must observe the federal law and pay taxes” - “We all must observe federal law and pay taxes"
“They must do their best and win tomorrow!” We all believe in them!” - “They have to do their best and win tomorrow! We all believe in them!”
Must is a modal verb, so it has no past form! You can use must only for the present and future tenses. To use must V past form we will have to resort to a verb had to(the verb have to is in the past tense).
Example:
“We must finish the project this week” - “We must complete the project this week” (present time).
“We had to finish the project last week” - “We should have completed the project last week” (past tense).
HAVE TO
Unlike must, have to used in situations where circumstances force us to do something. That is, these are obligations based more on facts than on our attitude towards an object/person/situation.
Example:
“I have to go home now. My mom doesn’t allow me to walk after 9 pm” - “I need to go home now. Mom doesn't let me go out after 9 pm."
“You have to work hard if you want to get a bonus at the end of the month” - “You need to work hard if you want to get a bonus at the end of the month”
Besides, have to usually replaces must, in moments where it is necessary to emphasize time (future or past). In such situations we use will have to for Future tenses and had to for Past tenses.
NEGATIVE FORM OF MUST AND HAVE TO
Here we will find another striking difference between these verbs. Let's start with something simple, with the verb have to. Here everything is as it should be with the negative form - denial of obligation. That is the phrase "you don't have to do it" Means "you don't have to do this". Everything is simple and familiar.
But with must everything is more interesting. In the negative form this verb becomes ban. For example, the phrase "you mustn't do it" means "you can't do this".
WHAT IS STRONGER – MUST OR HAVE TO?
These verbs are different and there is no clear answer to this. However, it can be assumed that the emotionally stronger verb is must, since we really believe that this is necessary, we think so because of our own convictions, and not just because of the circumstances that force us.
This concludes our little English lesson. In conclusion, we want to give you advice, dear friends:
It happens that the difference between have to And must almost invisible and difficult to determine with certainty which verb should be used. In such cases, we recommend saying have to. Even if you make a mistake, it will be less of a mistake than using a verb incorrectly must.
That's all for today, thanks for your attention, friends! Learn English and enjoy life! Good bye!
In this article we will compare verbs must, have to And should. We will look at the meaning of verbs in terms of the functions they perform in speech, and find out which verb to choose in a given situation. We will also try to find the most accurate translation for each verb.
Must vs. Have to: duty
Verbs must And have to show duty, obligation, but their meanings are different. Must implies that you believe you should do something. You think this is right and necessary. Must usually translated as “must”, “obliged”. Have to is translated by the words “have to”, “forced” and shows that you must do something because circumstances require it. For this reason the verb must is considered the “strongest” of the verbs showing obligation: what we ourselves believe in is more important and “obligatory” for us than anything else.
I must go now. It's getting dark. - I must leave. It's getting dark.
I have to go now. It’s getting dark and I won’t catch a taxi to get home. - I forced leave. It's getting dark, I won't be able to catch a taxi and go home.
The first example emphasizes the speaker's attitude. He is convinced that he should not walk along dark streets for his own personal reasons: he is afraid, he does not like the dark. In the second case, the speaker is forced to leave, otherwise he will not be able to go home.
Another important feature of the verb must in this function it is not used in the past tense. When we talk about an action in the past, we replace must on had to.
Yesterday I had to meet my parents at the airport. - Yesterday I should have meet parents at the airport.
My parents travel a lot. Every month I must meet them at the airport. – My parents travel a lot. Every month I must meet them at the airport.
Mustn't vs. Don’t have to: prohibition or lack of need
Must And have to radically change the meaning in a negative form. Mustn't shows a prohibition and is translated as “impossible”, “not to have the right”. Don't have to shows no need. We can take action, but there is no need for it. Don't have to translated by the words “not necessary”, “no need”, “not necessary”.
You mustn't use someone's ideas in your book without any references. It's plagiarism. - You you have no right use someone else's ideas in your book without citing the original source. This is plagiarism.
You don't have to use his ideas in your book. They are not that bright. - You No need use his ideas in your book. They are not that bright.
We can use modal verbs to give advice should And must.
Should conveys the usual advice and is translated with the words “worth”, “should”.
You should go to the party. It's going to be really interesting. - You costs go to this party. It will be really interesting there.
I think you should see this exhibition. - I think you costs see this exhibition.
In the case of a party, the person is given advice. He has a choice - to go to the party or not to go. In the second example, according to the speaker, going to the exhibition will be useful, but this does not mean that the person is obliged to go there.
Verb must we use when we want to give persistent advice. Must in these cases it is translated as “certainly follows”, “certainly stands”, “must”.
You must go to that party. It will be great. - You should definitely go to a party. She'll be great.
You are an art critic. You must see this exhibition. - You are an art critic. You must see this exhibition.
We do not force a person to do anything. We think the party will be really cool, so we strongly advise you to go. The same is true in the case of going to an exhibition: according to the speaker, it will be very useful for an art critic.
Verbs should And have to can be translated as “necessary”, “must”. Because of this, they are often confused. However, most often we use should to give advice. The verb have to can sometimes be used to give emotional advice, to persuade a person to do something.
Your apartment is very small. You should change it. – Your apartment is very small. You need to(=worth) changing it.
You have to read this book! - You must read this book!
In the first case, we give advice because we think the apartment is too small. In the second case, we really liked the book and we convince the person to read it.
As described above, the forms have to And don't have to have completely different meanings, and the verb should does not change the meaning in a negative form. By using should we advise what needs to be done using shouldn't we advise what not to do.
He doesn't have to cook because his mom comes to him and does cooking. - To him No need(=don't have to) cook because his mother comes to him and cooks.
He shouldn't cook for the party because nobody likes his dishes. - To him No need(=should not) cook because no one likes his dishes.
He should cook for the party. There will be a lot of people. - To him necessary(=should) cook for the party. There will be a lot of people there.
When choosing a modal verb, you must be guided by the context and understand exact value this verb in Russian.
Let's summarize. You can see them in a general table with all modal verbs and their functions:
| Modal verb | Function | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Must | Duty | "Must", "must" | I must go now. It's getting dark. - I have to leave. It's getting dark. |
| Strong advice | “Definitely should/worth it” | You are an art critic. You must see this exhibition.- You are an art critic. You must see this exhibition. | |
| Mustn't | Ban | “You can’t”, “you don’t have the right” | You mustn’t use someone’s ideas in your book without any references. It's plagiarism.– You do not have the right to use someone else’s ideas in your book without citing the original source. This is plagiarism. |
| Have to | Compulsion | “Have to”, “forced” | I have to go now. It’s getting dark and I won’t catch a taxi to get home.- I have to leave. It's getting dark, I won't be able to catch a taxi and go home. |
| Don't have to | No need | “It’s not necessary”, “there’s no need”, “it’s not necessary” | You don't have to use his ideas in your book. They are not that bright.– You don’t need to use his ideas in your book. They are not that bright. |
| Should (shouldn't) | Advice | “Should”, “should” (“should not”, “should not”) | I think you should see this exhibition.– I think you should see this exhibition. He shouldn’t cook for the party because nobody likes his dishes.“He shouldn’t cook because no one likes his food.” |
Modal verb must used primarily to express obligation, but in colloquial speech it is often replaced with a reverse have to. In this article we will look at the meaning of the verb must, examples of use, differences from have to, should, be supposed to.
Table: modal verb Must in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms
You must obey. - You must obey (order).
You must do your duty. - You must fulfill one's duty (obligation, order).
You must read more. - You must read more (strong advice).
Verb must can refer not only to the present, but also to the future tense:
We must finish our work tomorrow. - We should finish our work tomorrow.
He must return in an hour. - He must be back in an hour.
Other means can be used to express obligation and advice; read more about this below.
2. Categorical prohibition
Modal verb must in the negative form denotes a categorical prohibition, and not “should not.”
You must not smoke in this area. – Prohibited smoke in this area.
You mustn't break item in a store. – It is forbidden break goods in a store.
Milder forms of prohibition are can't(especially popular in colloquial speech) and may not:
You can't just leave without paying for your meal. - You you can't just leave without paying for the dish (this is prohibited).
You may not take these tools. - To you it is forbidden take these tools (this is prohibited).
3. Assumption
By using must expresses a confident assumption that the speaker considers plausible. The premise can refer to the present or past tense. Note that for an uncertain assumption that the speaker does not consider plausible, use .
3.1 Assumption relevant to the present time
He must see us from there. - He, there must be, sees us from there.
Sandy must remember my address. – Sandy there must be, remembers my address.
The phrase with the verb is especially often used:
You must be John. - You, there must be, John.
He must be busy now. - He is now there must be, busy.
If it is assumed that the action is performed at the moment of speech, a verb with the ending is used -ing:
Where is he? – No must be swimming in the pool. -Where is he? - He, must be floating in the pool (now).
3.2 Assumption relating to the past tense
Where is my phone? I must have forgotten it at home. - Where is my phone? I, I must have forgotten his home.
She must have been very dissapointed. - She, there must be, Very disappointed.
Note: How do you express a future tense proposition?
Verb must not used to express an assumption about the future. You can use other means for this, for example: probably, perhaps- probably to be likely to(to be possible, probable).
January, there must be, it will be cold. – January will probably be cold/January is likely to be cold / Perhaps January will be cold.
She, there must be, will forgive her husband. – She will probably forgive her husband / She is likely to forgive her husband / Perhaps, she will forgive her husband.
Also note that the assumption with must cannot be constructed in negative form. Other words are used for this too.
He, there must be, does not speak English. – No probably doesn't speak English.
Modal verb Must and phrase Have to
Synonym of verb must is the turnover have to- to be due. Unlike must, it can be used at any time. In a negative form, it expresses not a prohibition, but a lack of necessity (“must not”). There is a rather subtle semantic difference between them.
Must used as a “strong” ought, expressing an obligation or need to do something that you really consider necessary, something that is personally relevant to you, and also something that is extremely important.
I must pass the exam. - I must pass the exam (this is my obligation).
Have to can express a “soft” obligation: the need to do something, often forced, sometimes not so important.
We have to hurry. - Us need to hurry up (We must hurry up).
You don't have to tip a bartender here. - Here you are not obliged tip the bartender (shouldn't).
He didn't have to help me. - He didn't have to help me.
I will have to wait. - To me will have to wait.
However, in colloquial speech have to often used in the same sense as must.
I have to pass the exam. - I must pass the exam.
This sentence can be understood in two ways: 1) I must pass the exam because I am forced, obliged, 2) I must pass the exam because it is my personal moral duty (as with the verb must).
Let's try to compare two sentences with must And have to to better understand the difference. The company went on a hike, and in the process it turned out that Tim had difficulty carrying his things. We have to help him.
We must helpTim. - We should help Tim.
In this case, Tim is our friend, we cannot leave him, he needs, definitely needs help. So what if he took more things than he could carry? We will help him. If he were us, Tim would have done the same.
We have to helpTim. - We should help Tim.
Some Tim took more junk than he could handle. Because of him, everyone has to walk slower, he constantly asks to wait. We'll have to help him, but next time we won't take him with us.
This is a very rough example, because the option with have to may be suitable for the first case with Tim the friend. Much depends on the context, the specific case, and even the intonation with which you say the phrase.
In general, in colloquial speech they use much more often have to, when you need to say something like “I must”, “I have to”, “I have to”, etc.
Difference between Must, Have to, Should, Be Supposed to
The difference between must And have to we've already sorted it out. Let's see how the modal verb differs from them should and turnover be supposed to. The main difference is that they do not express obligation, although they can be translated into Russian with the words “need” or “must”.
Should– this is used (in particular) to express advice, wishes, recommendations. That is, not “you should”, but “you should”:
You should try this cake, it's delicious. - You should(you should / you should / you need) try this pie, it’s very tasty.
We shouldn't leave the door open. It's cold out there. - Us not worth it(shouldn't) leave the door open. It's cold outside.
Expressions with turnover be supposed to are often translated with the word “must”, but this is not “should” in the sense of “obliged, forced”, but “must” in the sense of “ in theory should" or "it is implied that". The difference is huge.
I saw you outside smoking, but you were supposed to be working. - I saw you smoking on the street, then you (in theory) should have work (but didn't work).
This is supposed to be the best day in my life, but I’m not feeling happy. - This should be (in theory) best day of my life, but I don't feel happy.
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Hello dear readers. I propose to talk about debts today. No, don’t rush to click on the cross, I’m talking about it in general, about .
What is your attitude to the word “should”? As children, we were so tormented by the words “you must” or “you can’t”, which I think is not positive for everyone. Even at all kinds of trainings, speakers are advised to avoid words such as “must”, “must”, so as not to evoke negative emotions in listeners and the feeling that they will have to do something against their will.
But it must be said that this word can express different meanings: I need it, it is important, I strongly recommend it, I feel a moral duty, etc.. How are these meanings conveyed in English?
Let's look at the difference between a modal verb must from have to.
Try to guess the difference between them using examples:
I have to work. - I have to, I have to work.
The air is polluted in Beijing. I must wear a mask. - The air is polluted in Beijing. I have to wear a mask.
How do these verbs differ from each other?
The main difference is that the modal verb must is of a personal nature (internal obligation, duty). Simply put, the translation of the word “must” sounds like “must, obliged.”
Have to in English more often denotes an obligation due to external reasons, is used in situations where someone has set these conditions for us.
However, this difference is not so significant in affirmative sentences. What cannot be said about denial:
I don’t have to buy souvenirs. - We are not obliged (we do not have to) buy souvenirs.
We mustn't park here. - We can't park here.
That is, a modal verb have to when negated in English, it simply means the absence of necessity (I am not obliged, I don’t have to do something, no one is forcing me), while negation with the verb must means a prohibition (it is impossible, it is forbidden to do something).
Let's look at these verbs in more detail.
Have to
Verb have to is used much more often than must, and denotes the need to do something, moreover, due to external circumstances.
This verb is grammatically weak. It behaves like an ordinary verb in English, changes in tenses, changes form, and requires negations and questions when forming.
That is, you cannot say I haven’t to do - I have to do. You can't say Have you to do? - Do you have to do?
| Statement (+) | Negation (-) | Question (?) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | I/you/we/they have to go. He/she has to go. | I/you/we/they don't have to go. He/she doesn't have to go. | Do I/you/we/they have to go? Does he/she have to go? |
| Past | We had to go. | We didn't have to go. | Did you have to go? |
| Future | I'll (will) have to go. | I won't (will not) have to go. | Will you have to go? |
Sometimes in colloquial speech you can find this form:
I' we got to+ V = I have to+ V
I have to go = I' we got to go.
Surely in American films you have heard more than once: I gotta go. This is a shortened colloquial version of I’ ve got to go, and it means the same thing - “I must go.”
Must
Unlike the previous verb, must is grammatically strong, that is, it does not require auxiliary verbs to form negations and questions, and it does not change its form.
In negative sentences we simply add the particle not- must not (mustn’t). Pay attention to the pronunciation - [ʹmʌs(ə)nt]
| Statement (+) | Negation (-) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|
| I must report. | You mustn't smoke here. | Must I do it now? |
Must does not have a past tense form, so it uses the equivalent of have to, that is, in the past - had to.
That is, for example, the sentence “ I must do it" - "I have to do this" in the past will sound like " I had to do it" - “I had to do this” and in the future “ I’ ll have to do it- “I will have to do this.”
There is also a form with the past participle to express the past tense, but this is only in the sense of a logical conclusion, a guess (paragraph 4). For example, He must have seen it. - He must have seen it.
Let's take a closer look at the meaning of this verb:
- Obligation (rather internal), necessity, duty
I must tell her everything. - I have to tell her everything.
- Written instructions
You must return books on time. - You must return books on time.
You mustn't park your car here. - Parking is not allowed here.
- Strong recommendation (stronger than )
You must read this book! - You simply must read this book!
- The conclusion must be
You must be tired. - You must be tired (that is, tired now).
He must have known it. - You must have known this (that is, you knew it in the past).
If you must - expresses agreement to something, but with reluctance.
Do you mind if I smoke here? - If you must... - Do you mind if I smoke? - Well, if that’s what you need... (but I agree reluctantly).
Must-see, must-know, must-have, etc.
It’s one of the world’s must-see cities. - This is one of those cities in the world that everyone should see.
Resume
The main differences between must and have to in the table
| Must | Have to |
|---|---|
| Strong (auxiliary do/does/did are NOT required for questions and negatives) | Weak (requires auxiliary do/does/did for questions and negatives) |
| Personal commitment (In positive sentences the meaning is similar) | External circumstances (In positive sentences the meaning is similar; in colloquial speech it is used more often) |
| Doesn't change over time. | It changes according to tenses and has the form of a gerund. |
| It is NOT followed by the particle “to” (I must to go). | It is followed by the particle “to” (I have to go). |
| In negation it means “impossible” | In negation it means “not necessary, not necessary” |
| It has additional meanings of inference (he must have left - he must have already left), a strong recommendation. |
Well, I fulfilled my moral duty with pleasure - I shared a piece of my knowledge with you. Have fun learning the language, study not only because you “have to”, but also because you want it!
But remember that it is not enough to read the text, you also need to remember it. And for this, exercises are the best fit. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you take the test and make sure that you remember exactly how the modal verb must differs from have to.
Test
The test is in development
Best wishes, your Polina 4lang.
P.S. You can find other exercises (tests) on the “” page.
P.P.S. Don't forget to watch our video lesson about verbs, incl. and about modal
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