Modal Verb MUST

1. - Concept
MUST is a modal verb that is used primarily to express obligation and prohibition.
We remember that modal verbs in English are verbs that are used to express different
functions such as obligation, capacity, necessity, deduction and prohibition.
Must is a personal obligation, an obligation imposed by the speaker. If I say “I must”,
it's something I feel, not something I have to do.
And if I say “you must” is not a rule or the law, but something that I want (strongly)
that you do. A personal obligation, not institutional.

2. - Function
We use the modal verb must to express:
a) Obligation
The semi-modal "Have to" is also used to express obligation. The difference is
that the obligation expressed by have to is external (it is given by a third person or
by rules) while the obligation expressed by must is imposed by the speaker or the
one who writes the sentence. In addition, the obligation with must has future
intention.
b) Moral duty
c) Advice (persuasion)
Here it is very important that it be distinguished from the "should" that is also
used to express advice. We use must to express strong recommendation or advice,
to the point of wanting to persuade the interlocutor.
d) Strong need
Here we have to distinguish it from the semi-modal have to which also expresses
necessity. Must is used to express a strong need.
e) Affirmative deduction.
Mustn’t
The negative form of must, that is, must not or must not, is used to express
prohibition.

3. - Structure
Must is a modal verb that is used in affirmative and in negative. As a modal verb, it will
follow the rules of all modal verbs, that is:
→ In affirmative phrases will be followed by infinitive without to.
I must study, You must study, He / she / it must study, We must study, They must study
→ In negative sentences you will make the denial using not or not.
I must’nt smoke, You must’nt smoke, He / she must’nt smoke, We must’nt smoke, They
must’nt smoke.

4. - Examples
a) Obligation
"I must write an e-mail to my cousin" → It's something that I impose myself. I
have not done it yet, it has future intention.
"Passengers must fasten their seat belts." → It is something that the company that
has written the phrase imposes.
“Employes must wash hands before returning to work.”
“Students must pass their exams in order to continue to the next grade.”
“I must earn enough money to pay the rent.”
b) Moral duty
“You must respect your parents”.
“you must help others”.
“you must be an honest person”.
c) Advice
"You must go and see that film“.
"You must clean your car“.
“You must do exercise to lose weight”.
“You must eat healthy food”.
“You must try that new Italian restaurant. The food is great!”.
d) Strong need
"I must tidy my bedroom. It's a mess”.
“I must drink water, I am very thirsty”.
“I must study for the exam tomorrow”.
“I must take the medicine to be able to recover”.
e) Affirmative deduction.
"You got up very early. You must be tired“.
 "The lights are on. She must be home“.
“If he’s not at work, he must be on vacation”.
“You lost your job? Oh no! You must be sad…”.
“I feel terrible. I must be getting sick”.
Negative Form
“You mustn't be late”.
“You mustn't smoke in schools”.
“He mustn’t go there alone. It’s too dangerous”.
“We mustn’t enter that room. It is only for authorized personnel”.

5.- Special Cases

Past Form
In the sense of the necessity, the past form for must is had to – “I had to meet my cousin
yesterday”. - This past tense is used in the sequence of tenses.
“He tells me I must do it”. - becomes
“He told me I had to do it”.
“I had to leave early”.
However, in informal english the present form MUST is often heard in such sentences -
He told me I had to do it.
Future form
If we want to use Must in its future form, we must use to "have to".
"I'll have to go to the doctor“.
“You’ll have to repair your car”.
Negative deductions
For negative deductions we will use the modal “can’t”.
“You can’t be 30!. You look younger”.
“We can’t lose!. We trained hard”.
Probability
"Must" denotes the greatest degree of probability; it is used when the speaker or writer
is fairly certain that his inference from de available evidence is correct.
"He must certainly be at the office by now". (certainty) → present time.
"He must certainly have arrived at the office by now". → past time.