Must and Have to

For beginners

'Have to' and 'must' have the same meaning and are used to express obligations. However, they are used in different situations and are not interchangeable.

The modal verb 'must' is used to talk about rules and obligations in the present.

Structure

Like other modals, the base form of the verb is used after 'must'.

For example:

You must do your homework.

He must pay her back.

You must be quiet after 10 o'clock.

'Must' has the same form for all persons.

I	must work.
He/She/It	must work.
We/You/They	must work.

Negation

The negative form of must is 'must not' or 'mustn’t'. But keep in mind that in modern everyday English, 'mustn't' and 'must not' are not commonly used.

You mustn't disrespect your parents.

They must not forget their duties.

These sentences are both formal and we normally use 'shouldn't' or 'should not' instead.

Warning

Do not use don’t/doesn’t/didn’t with 'must.'

Forming Questions

To form questions, simply move 'must' to the beginning of the sentence before the subject. But remember that this usage is formal and is not usually used in everyday English.

Must you be this cruel?

Must I pay now?

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The Modal Verb Must
Structure
Negation
Forming Questions

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