LoginMust and Have to
This article dives into "must" and "have to" for expressing necessity and obligation. Detailed explanations and a quiz to test your knowledge.
Must and Have to
'Must' is a modal verb in English that shows obligation or necessity. 'Have to' is not grammatically modal, but expresses the same modal meaning as 'must'.
Must
Unlike 'will,' 'can,' and 'shall,' 'must' has no past form. It also differs from other modals in that its negative and question forms are no longer commonly used in everyday speech. 'Must' has different uses in English, including:
expressing obligation
offering a conclusion or deduction
making suggestions and recommendations
expressing annoyance
Expressing Obligation
'Must' can be used to show that something is necessary or obligatory to be done. For example:
All applicants must submit their resumes.
You must be home by 11 o'clock.
In this case we are not referring to an obligation.
Offering a Conclusion or Deduction
'Must' can be used to present a conclusion or deduction based on evidence or logical reasoning. For example:
You must be hungry after walking for a long time.
It is logical to get hungry after long walks.
You must be tired after driving all this way
In this usage, you can use 'must' + 'have' + 'past participle' to refer to a deduction about the past.
He must have known what she wanted.
She must have been here.
Warning!
When used in this sense, 'must' cannot be negated. To show a negative possibility, 'can't' is typically used. For example:
This must be the place. → This can't be the place.
Here, the negated sentence shows a negative conclusion.
Making Suggestions and Recommendations
'Must' can be used to express a strong recommendation or advice. This use is more common in British English. For example:
You simply must watch this movie.
We must get together for lunch.
Expressing Annoyance
'Must' is used in rhetorical questions or exclamations to express annoyance at a repeated or annoying behavior or occurrence. For example:
Must you leave your shoes in the hallway every time?
Must she talk so loudly on the phone?
Have to
'Have to' does not share the grammatical properties of modals. It can be conjugated for tense and person, and needs the auxiliary 'do' for negation and formation of questions.
She has to sign the documents today.
You don't have to wear a uniform.
However, it is semantically similar to 'must' in that it refers to obligation and necessity of an action. So, it can be a useful alternative for 'must' in the following cases:
expressing necessity and obligation
expressing personal urges and needs
giving advice or recommendation
offering a conclusion or deduction
expressing annoyance
Expressing Necessity and Obligation
'Have to' is commonly used to express an obligation or requirement, often indicating that the obligation comes from an external source such as rules, laws, or social expectations. For example:
I have to wear a uniform at work.
You have to pay your bills on time.
Tip!
'Must' and 'have (got) to' are synonymous in this usage. However, there is a subtle difference between them. 'Must' is used to talk about what the speaker wants, while 'have (got) to' is used to talk about external obligations, such as rules, deadlines, etc.
You must apply for a visa.
You have to apply for a visa to be able to enter the country.
Past Obligations or Necessities
'Must' cannot refer to the past. To talk about past obligations, you can use the past form of 'have to' which is 'had to' or its present perfect form 'have had to'. For example:
I had to finish the report by Friday.
Sarah has had to study a lot for her English exam.
Future Obligations or Necessities
To talk about the future, you can use the future form of 'have to' which is 'will have to' or 'have to' if an arrangement has already been made for the future. 'Must' can also refer to future obligations, so it can be used interchangeably with 'have to.'
She'll have to hurry if she wants to arrive on time.
He has to complete the training before starting.
Expressing Personal Urges and Needs
'Have to' can also be used to express what someone feels is necessary for them to do, based on an internal desire or need rather than any external factor. In this usage, 'must' is not a valid alternative for 'have to.' For example:
I have to talk to someone about this.
I have to see that movie!
Giving Advice or Recommendation
'Have to' in American English and 'have got to' in British English are used to give a strong recommendation or advice.
You simply have to tell him the truth.
You've got to try this snack—it's delicious.
Tip!
In negative sentences both 'must not' and 'don't/doesn't have to' are used, but with different meanings. 'Must not' is used to indicate prohibition or to tell somebody not to do something. For example:
You must not make a noise in this room.
You mustn't leave the window open.
On the other hand, 'don't/doesn't have to' is used to indicate that something is not necessary or required. For example:
We don't have to work on weekends.
Offering a Conclusion or Deduction
'Have to' is used to express something that is thought to be true based on deduction or logic. Both 'must' and 'have to' are used to say that you are fairly certain about something. 'Have to' is more common in American English.
There has to be a reason for his strange behavior.
He has to be the one who took it — no one else was here.
Expressing Annoyance
'Have to' is used to express annoyance or to suggest that an event is intentionally directed at the speaker with the purpose of causing irritation. Since this sense is typically expressed using a question form and the question form of 'must' is not used commonly, 'have to' is typically preferred for this purpose. For example:
Do you have to interrupt me when I'm speaking?
Does he have to talk so loudly on the phone?
Review
'Have to' and 'must' are used to express obligations. The tables below summarize the different senses each of them can express.
must | |
|---|---|
expressing obligations | You must speak to the secretary first. |
expressing a logical conclusion | He must be sleeping now, he works 18 hours per day. |
making suggestions and recommendations | You must try the turkey sandwich. |
expressing annoyance | Must they play music this late every night? |
Have to | |
|---|---|
expressing obligations | You have to pay your own bills. |
expressing personal urges and needs | I have to see him before he leaves. |
giving advice or recommendation | They have to be patient to get the job. |
expressing a logical conclusion | It has to be Mark. I remember he had these ocean blue eyes when he was younger. |
expressing annoyance | I wonder why it has to always be me who is in charge of everything. |
Quiz:
Which sentence correctly deduces a past action?
She must be running late again.
They must have missed the train.
He has to forget his keys yesterday.
They have to be home. Their car is parked outside.
Match the sentences with the correct usage of "Must."
Fill the blanks with either "must" or "have/has/had to."
I
call my friend right now because she's been waiting for my answer.
You
be tired after such a long journey.
Sarah
work overtime last week to complete the project on time.
He
wear a uniform at work because it's the company policy.
You
see that movie — it's a must-watch!
Which sentence correctly expresses a personal need?
I must finish this report by 5 PM.
I have to tell you about my amazing trip!
You must try this new restaurant.
I have to attend my classes regularly.
Sort the words to form a negative sentence using "have to."
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