MODAL AUXILIARY: MUST

Introduction
 There is no -s in the third person singular.
He must go to campus on Sunday. (Not He musts …)
 Questions and negatives are made without do.
Must you go? (Not Do you must go?)
You must not (mustn’t) worry. (Not You don’t must worry.)
 After must, we use the infinitive without to of other verbs.
I must write to my mother. (Not I must to write …)
 Must has no infinitive or participle (to must, musting, musted do not exist), and it
has no past tense. When necessary, we express similar meanings with other words,
for example forms of have to.
It’s annoying to have to get up early on Sundays. (Not … to must get up …)
He’ll have to start coming on time. (Not He’ll must …)
We had to cut short our holiday because my mother was ill. (Not We musted …)

Meanings
Must is used mostly to express the deduction or conclusion that something is certain,
and to talk about necessity and obligation.

1. Must means Deduction (Concluding that something is certain)

 Must can be used to express the deduction or conclusion that something is
certain or highly probable, it is normal or logical, there are excellent reasons
for believing it, or it is the only possible explanation for what is happening.
If A is bigger that B, and B is bigger than C, then A must be bigger than C.
Ria must have a problem. She keeps crying.
There’s the doorbell. It must be Andre.
  Must is not often used to express certainty in negative sentences. We normally
used cannot/can’t to say that something is certainly not the case, because it is
logically or practically impossible.
If A is bigger that B, and B is bigger than C, then C can’t be bigger than A.
It can’t be the postman at the door. It’s only seven o’clock. (Not It mustn’t
be the postman …)
She’s not answering the phone. She can’t be at home
However, mustn’t is used in question tags after must.
It must be nice to be a cat, mustn’t it? (Not … can’t it?)
 Should can be used as a weaker form of must.
Andi must be at home by now. (I think he’s certainly at home.)
Andi should be at home by now. (I think he’s probably at home.)

2. Must means Necessity and Obligation

 In affirmative statements, we can use must to say what is necessary, and to
give strong advice and orders to ourselves and other people.
Plants must get enough light and water if they are to grow properly.
I really must stop smoking.
You must be here before eight o’clock tomorrow.
 In question, we use must to ask about what the hearer thinks is necessary.
Must I clean all the rooms?
Why must you always leave the door open?
 We use must not / mustn’t to say that it is wrong to do things, or to tell people
not to do things. Can’t is also possible.
The government mustn’t / can’t expect people to work for no money.
You mustn’t / can’t open this parcel until Christmas Day.
 Must is not normally used to talk about past obligation. This is because must is
used mainly to influence people’s behavior, for example through orders or
advice, and one cannot do this in the past. Had to is used to talk about
obligation that existed in the past.
 I had to cycle three kilometers to school when I was a child.
My parents had to work very hard to build up their business.
 Should can be used as a weaker form of must.
The carpet must be cleaned. (It is absolutely necessary.)
The carpet should be cleaned. (It would be a good idea.)

Must and Have to

In statements about obligation with must, the obligation most often comes from the
speaker (and in question, from the hearer). To talk about an obligation that comes from
outside, for instance a regulation, or an order from somebody else, we usually prefer
have to.
 I must do some more work; I want to pass my exam.
In my job, I have to work from nine to five. (better than … I must work from nine to
five.)

 I must stop smoking. (I want to.)

I have to stop smoking. (Doctor’s orders.)

 I’ve got bad toothache. I must make an appointment with the dentist.
I can’t come to work tomorrow morning because I have to see the dentist.

 I must get up early tomorrow. There are a lot of things I want to do.
I have to get up early tomorrow. I’m going away and my train leaves at 7:30.