25/2/2016 ENGLISH PAGE Must englishpage.com Home > Modal Verb Tutorial > Must Must f t g+ p "Must" is 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 Modal Use Positive Forms Negative Forms Also 1. = Present 2. = Past 3 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = use: = Future Future 1. That must be Jerry 1. That must not be Jerry. He have They said he was tall with is supposed to have red hair to bright red hair 2. That must not have been the 2. That must have been right restaurant. I guess there must the right restaurant. There is another one around here certainty are no other restaurants on somewhere this street http://www.englishpage.com/modals/must.html 3. NO FUTURE FORM 1/3 25/2/2016 ENGLISH PAGE Must 3. NO FUTURE FORM You must not swim in that river. It's full of crocodiles You must not forget to take must not your malaria medication while prohibition your are in the tropics Prohibition usually refer to the near future 1. You must take some 1. You mustn't drink so much time off and get some rest It's not good for your health 2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" 2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" should must strong recommendation You should have taken some time off last week to (Americans get some rest. You shouldn't have drunk so much. That caused the accident prefer the form 3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" 3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" "should.") You should take some time You shouldn't drink at the off next week to get some party. You are going to be the rest. designated driver 1. You must have a permit 1. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" have to enter the national park We don't have to get a permit to must necessity (Americans 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" to enter the national park We had to have a permit to 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" enter the park We didn't have to get a permit prefer the form 3. We must get a permit to "have to.") enter the park next week. to enter the national park 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" http://www.englishpage.com/modals/must.html 2/3 25/2/2016 ENGLISH PAGE Must 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 EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS Modal Exercise 1 can, could, have to, must, might and should Modal Exercise 2 have to and must Modal Exercise 3 might, must, should, could, have to and ought to Modal Exercise 7 modal verb forms Modal Verb Final Test Complete review Copyright © 2016 Englishpage.com, All Rights Reserved Contact us | Privacy Policy | Advertise with us Your personal online English school. Learn English at Englishpage.com! Weekly Lesson Grammar Book Vocabulary Verb Tenses Conditionals Modals Gerunds / Infinitives Articles Prepositions Minitutorials Irregular Verbs Reading Room Listening Lounge Games English Forums English Schools English · Foreign Dictionaries English ·English Dictionaries Irregular Verb Dictionary Phrasal Verb Dictionary Verb + Preposition Dictionary http://www.englishpage.com/modals/must.html 3/3