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    Using "Must" in Present, Past, and Future

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    Angélica Benevides
    This document discusses the use of the modal verb "must" in English to express certainty, necessity, strong recommendation, and prohibition. It provides examples of "must" used in different contexts and tenses. The document also notes that Americans prefer softer forms like "have to" instead of "must" for necessity and "should" instead of "must" for recommendations. It highlights the difference between "must not" which prohibits an action, and "do not have to" which means an action is not required.

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    Using "Must" in Present, Past, and Future

    Uploaded by

    Angélica Benevides
    37 views2 pages
    This document discusses the use of the modal verb "must" in English to express certainty, necessity, strong recommendation, and prohibition. It provides examples of "must" used in different contexts and tenses. The document also notes that Americans prefer softer forms like "have to" instead of "must" for necessity and "should" instead of "must" for recommendations. It highlights the difference between "must not" which prohibits an action, and "do not have to" which means an action is not required.

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    Must

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    This document discusses the use of the modal verb "must" in English to express certainty, necessity, strong recommendation, and prohibition. It provides examples of "must" used in different contexts and tenses. The document also notes that Americans prefer softer forms like "have to" instead of "must" for necessity and "should" instead of "must" for recommendations. It highlights the difference between "must not" which prohibits an action, and "do not have to" which means an action is not required.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    37 views2 pages

    Using "Must" in Present, Past, and Future

    Uploaded by

    Angélica Benevides
    This document discusses the use of the modal verb "must" in English to express certainty, necessity, strong recommendation, and prohibition. It provides examples of "must" used in different contexts and tenses. The document also notes that Americans prefer softer forms like "have to" instead of "must" for necessity and "should" instead of "must" for recommendations. It highlights the difference between "must not" which prohibits an action, and "do not have to" which means an action is not required.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Must

    f t g+ p
    "Must" is a modal verb most commonly used to express certainty. It can also be used to express
    necessity or strong recommendation, although native speakers prefer the more flexible form "have to."
    "Must not" can be used to prohibit actions, but this sounds very severe; speakers prefer to use softer
    modal verbs such as "should not" or "ought not" to dissuade rather than prohibit.

    Examples:

    This must be the right address! certainty


    Students must pass an entrance examination to study at this school. necessity
    You must take some medicine for that cough. strong recommendation
    Jenny, you must not play in the street! prohibition

    Using "Must" in Present, Past, and Future


    Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn
    how "must" behaves in different contexts.

    Positive Forms Negative Forms Also


    Modal Use 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future use:
    Future

    1. That must be Jerry. They 1. That must not be Jerry. He is have


    said he was tall with bright red supposed to have red hair. to
    hair.
    2. That must not have been the
    must
    2. That must have been the right restaurant. I guess there is
    certainty
    right restaurant. There are no another one around here
    other restaurants on this street. somewhere.

    3. NO FUTURE FORM 3. NO FUTURE FORM

    You must not swim in that river. It's


    full of crocodiles.

    You must not forget to take your


    must not
    malaria medication while your are in
    prohibition
    the tropics.

    Prohibition usually refer to the near


    future.

    must 1. You must take some time off 1. You mustn't drink so much. It's should
    strong and get some rest. not good for your health.
    recommendation
    2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" 2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD"
    (Americans You should have taken some You shouldn't have drunk so much.
    prefer That caused the accident.
    the form time off last week to get some 3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD"
    "should.") rest. You shouldn't drink at the party. You
    are going to be the designated
    3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" driver.
    You should take some time off
    next week to get some rest.

    1. You must have a permit to 1. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" have


    enter the national park. We don't have to get a permit to to
    must enter the national park.
    necessity 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
    We had to have a permit to 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
    (Americans enter the park. We didn't have to get a permit to
    prefer enter the national park.
    the form 3. We must get a permit to
    "have to.") enter the park next week. 3. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
    We won't have to get a permit to
    enter the national park.

    REMEMBER: "Must not" vs. "Do not have to"


    "Must not" suggests that you are prohibited from doing something. "Do not have to" suggests that
    someone is not required to do something.

    Examples:

    You must not eat that. It is forbidden, it is not allowed.


    You don't have to eat that. You can if you want to, but it is not necessary.

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