Unit 7.1
Must: Modals of Obligation
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Introduction
A modal verb is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that has no meaning on its own but it modifies the main verb, changes its meaning and gives more details about the action.
Must is a type of auxiliary modal verb used to express certainty, necessity or strong obligation which doesn’t come from outside, it’s a personal opinion. It also expresses prohibition in the negative form.
Form
Must can be expressed in the three forms (affirmative, negative and interrogative) and it does not change even for the third person singular.
Affirmative
Its structure, in the affirmative form, is:
Subject + must + verb + …
| Subject | must | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| I/You | must | work |
| He/She/It | must | work |
| We/You/They | must | work |
Negative
Its structure, in the negative form, is:
Subject + must not + verb + …
| Subject | must + not | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| I/You | must not | work |
| He/She/It | must not | work |
| We/You/They | must not | work |
Short form of the negative form is: mustn’t.
Interrogative
Its structure, in the interrogative form, is:
Must + subject + verb + …?
| Must | Subject | Verb | Question Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Must | I/you | work | …? |
| Must | he/she/it | work | …? |
| Must | we/you/they | work | …? |
Example
Affirmative:
- It must be her dog. The collar says her name.
- I must search for a new house, my contract ends soon.
- You must buy a new bunch of flowers.
Negative:
- You must not give your address on online forums.
- He must not surf the internet while working.
- You mustn’t smoke in this restaurant.
Interrogative:
- Must I go to the meeting?
- Must you always interfere with my plans?
- Must we go to school today?
Use
We use must when:
- we are sure about something, something is reasonably expected (affirmative);
- there is strong obligation (affirmative, interrogative);
- something is necessary (affirmative, interrogative);
- prohibition (negative).
Summary
The modal verb must expresses certainty, strong obligation, necessity or prohibition which doesn’t come from outside. We can use it in its different forms (it does not change in the third person singular):
We can use it in its different forms:
- affirmative: we start with the subject followed by must and the verb.
- negative: we start with the subject followed by must not and the verb.
- interrogative: we start with must followed by the subject and the verb (the sentence ends with a question mark).
For example:
— Affirmative: “I must visit my parents soon.” = The subject feels obligation.
— Negative: “You must not try drugs.” = It expresses prohibition.
— Interrogative: “Must I do it now?” = The subject asks if he has to do it in that moment.
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
Exercises
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