What is the difference between must and have to. Modal verb Must in English: rules and examples. Must and have to in statements

Is there difference between such modal verbs as must and have to? Of course, it exists, otherwise such a huge amount of materials would not be printed on this topic. First, these verbs are used differently in negatives and questions. So, must is a completely independent verb that does not need do/does; what can't you say about have to. But the latter can be used at all times, unlike must, which has no form at all for past simple.

Difference between must and have to

The meaning of the two modal verbs also indicates that difference between must and have to exists. If we want to emphasize that a person is obliged to do something in our opinion or according to some rules, then we will need must. When there is a need to perform an action due to certain circumstances, it is better to use a modal verb have to.

Examples:

You must do your English homework every Monday! -You have to do your own thing homework every Monday!

It is getting dark. I have to leave. – It’s getting dark. I have to (I have to) go.

As you can see, the most basic difference between must And have to is that have to expresses a softer obligation. A person simply has to do something for a reason, not because a rule or strict instruction must be followed.

Using the modal verb must

As noted above, use of the modal verb must possible only in the present tense. But if it is important to express an obligation in the past, you can use have to For past simple. In other words, it turns out like this:

HAD TO = MUST in the past!

Examples:

He had to get up earlier last week. “He had to get up earlier last week.”

They had to tidy up all house themselves. “They had to clean the whole house themselves.”

The question arises: how to understand which modal verb was used in the past tense if must And have to have in in this case same shape? It’s very simple: pay attention to the context, there will definitely be some explanation there.

It is worth noting that must does not always serve to express an obligation or need to do something according to a rule. Often this modal verb helps to express the speaker’s confidence or assumption regarding some action.

Examples:

Where is Mark? – No must be in the garden.

Where is Mark? - He must be in the garden.

She must have already finished her report. “She must have already finished the report.”

If in your offer must serves to express an action that should have happened in the past in your opinion, then it will no longer be necessary had to, and as they call it, the perfect infinitive. Do not forget that the use of a modal verb must is not limited only to the expression of obligation.

The use of must and have to. Examples

Let's fix it use must and have to, paying attention to the following suggestions.

example	translation
Must the students do all these exercises today?	Do students need to complete all of these assignments today?
I had to do that. There was no choice.	I had to do it. There was no choice.
Bob has to walk to school, his bicycle is broken.	Bob will have to walk to school because his bike is broken.
Did you have to go there by taxi?

Uses of the verb Must

To express urgent advice or command, both to oneself and to others.
To express the suggestion that something may be plausible or probable.

Features of the use of the verb Must

The construction must have + past participle is used to express an assumption that relates to the past.
Must is not used to express ought in the past tense. The verb used for this is had to.
Must be used in indirect speech to express a past action.

Examples

Must I finish this exercise now? – Should I finish this exercise now? (the need to perform an action)
It is almost 8 o"clock. You must hurry up - It’s almost 8 o’clock. You need to hurry up. (urgent advice or order)
This must be the right answer - This must be the correct answer. (expression of assumption)
I can't find my wallet. I must have left it at home - I can't find my wallet. I must have left his home. (an expression of an assumption that refers to the past)
I knew there must be some solution – I knew that it should have been some kind of solution. (used in indirect speech to express a past action)
You must not touch bare wires - You must not touch bare wires. (order)

#2 Modal verb Have to

Uses of the verb Have to

To express the need to perform an action.
To express the likelihood of something (more often used in American English).

Features of the use of the verb Have to

In interrogative and negative sentences it is used with the auxiliary verb do/does/did/will, etc.
Verb form changes depending on time.

Examples

You don"t have to make a decision right now - You don’t have to make a decision right now. (no need to take an action)
My sister is short-sighted. She has to wear glasses – My sister is nearsighted. She has to wear glasses. (necessity)
Do you have to go shopping today? We can do it tomorrow together – Do you need to go shopping today? We can do this tomorrow together. (necessity)
We are still on the way. It has to be further than we thought – We are still on the way. It must be further than we thought. (expression of assumption)
You had to turn left at the crossroads - You had to turn left at the crossroads. (not the speaker’s personal opinion, but a necessity due to certain circumstances)
You will have to send her an e-mail - You will have to send her an e-mail. (necessity)

#3 Modal verb Should

Uses of the verb Should

To express a need, advice, recommendation.

Features of the use of the verb Should

The construction should have + past participle is used when talking about events in the past that did not happen or could/could not happen.
Used in indirect speech in relation to the past tense, if the verb should was used in direct speech in the sentence. In other cases, the verb should not used in the past tense. Instead, was/were supposed to is usually used.

Note

The constructions should have + past participle and to be supposed to are close in meaning and can often be interchanged. However, the design should have + past participle carries a greater connotation of criticism and regret, while the construction to be supposed to is less categorical and more common in colloquial speech.

Examples

It is cold outside. You should put on a jacket – It’s cold outside. You should wear a jacket. (advice)
He should have learned this lesson by now - He should have already learned this lesson. (we are talking about an event in the past that could have already happened)
They said we should not wait for them - They said that we should not wait for them. (indirect speech, provided that the verb should was used in direct speech)
Why don"t you call them? The car should be fixed by now - Why don’t you call them? The car should already be repaired. (probability)
Should I follow the instructions? – Should I follow the instructions? (please give advice or recommendation)
She was supposed to introduce me to him (NOT She should introduce me to him) – She had to introduce me to him. (we are talking about the past tense, in which case the expression was supposed to is used instead of the verb should)

#4 Modal verb Ought to

Uses of the verb Ought to

To express obligation, advice, recommendation.
To express the probability of something.

Features of the use of the verb Ought to

The construction is used in relation to the past time when the event did not occur.

Examples

You ought to listen to your parents - You must listen to your parents. (expression of obligation)
Hurry up! You ought not to miss your train – Hurry up! You mustn't miss your train. (advice, recommendation)
Ought we to start the speech now? – Should we start speaking now? (the speaker asks for advice)
His behavior ought to improve after this talk - His behavior should improve after this conversation. (probability expression)
The plane landed an hour ago. They ought to have gone through the customs by now – The plane landed an hour ago. They are already should have passed through customs. (design ought to have + past participle; The example shows that the action did not occur)

#5 Difference between Must and Have to

The verb Must is used to express personal feelings speaker. The verb Have to is used when speaking about facts and about necessity due to certain circumstances.
The verb Must is used when talking about the present or future, but not the past. The verb Have to is used in all tenses.
When forming negative and interrogative sentences, the verb Have to requires the use of auxiliary verbs do/does/did/will, etc.
Must not is used when it is important not to do what is being discussed in the sentence. Do not have to is used when something is not needed, but it can be done (depending on the desire of the speaker).

Examples

You must change your diet to lose some weight - You must change your diet to lose weight. (personal opinion of the speaker)
You do not have to drink so much water - You may not drink so much water. (there's no need for that)
You must not drink so much water - You must not drink so much water. (this is a ban)
You have to turn left at the crossroads - You must turn left at the intersection. (not the speaker’s personal opinion, but a fact)

#6 Difference between Must and Should/Ought to

The verb Must expresses a higher degree of obligation. The verb Must is more often used in orders, regulations, etc. The verbs Should and Ought to are more often used in advice and recommendations.
In assumptions, the verbs Should and Ought to indicate a lower degree of confidence of the speaker than the verb Must.
In logical inferences and conclusions, the verb Must is used.

Examples

It is cold outside. You must wear a coat – It’s cold outside. You must put on your coat. (more high degree obligation, order)
In weather like this you should wear a coat - In this weather you should wear a coat. (advice, recommendation)
The dinner must be ready now - Dinner must be ready. (high degree of confidence of the speaker)
The dinner should be ready now - Dinner should be ready. (lower degree of speaker's confidence, assumption)
Are they on holiday? They must be having a great time! -Are they on vacation? They must be having a great time! (logical conclusion, conclusion)

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HAVE TO

Have to is used in the sense of “under the influence of external circumstances, I need to do this and that.” Or also in our meaning “I have to.” Those. I myself don’t want to, but others are forcing me. I would be happy not to, but if I don’t, it will be bad.

Example: " Sorry,Ican'tgo -Ihave to domyhomework” - “Sorry, I can’t go, I have to do my homework.”

This means that a person wants to go, and does not want to do his homework at all, but, alas, he is forced to do it and therefore, no matter how much he wants, he cannot go where he wants.

In this sense, have to is often used as a polite excuse for something in the spirit of “I’m very sorry, I would love to stay, but, alas, the stars have aligned in such a way that I am forced to leave you... but I really like you and, if If I had such an opportunity, I would spend a lot more time with you, but alas” - “I’m very sorry, but I have to go.”

MUST

Must is when you need it not because someone or something forces you. But because you decided so for yourself. Because this must be done to achieve some of your goals more high order. For example, you decided for yourself that now you will get up early every day. Accordingly, you cannot stay for the late party.

In this case, say this: “I am sorry, but I must go.” This means “sorry, but I have more important things to do. I have to go." This is a tougher form, the previous one is more polite.

NEED

Need is a need. When you say "I need something", this means "I I need in something." In the case of action, you need action. All in the same example: “I need to go” means “I need to go.” This expression emphasizes your dependence on something. Roughly speaking, you want to get a job at a company. You need her, she doesn’t need you. Then say “I need to join that company.”

The difference from have to here is that no one and nothing forces you. You're just in a low position.

SHOULD

Generally speaking, should is rarely used and is confused by many with must. However, there are differences between them, albeit subtle ones.

So, should means rather what you want relies do something according to your social role, status, position. For example, you can often hear the phrase “You shouldn’t be doing that!” This means "You don't should do this! This, for example, happens when a person climbs somewhere where he is not supposed to. For example, he goes into the boss’s office and rummages through his desk. Those. should is used when we are dealing with social ideas about how you should should to act, but how not to.

Also, should is a designation of sacred Duty. For example, in front of the Motherland or Senior. “I should join this war” - “My duty is to join this war.”

CONCLUSION

Let me remind you once again that all of the above are not rules, but nothing more than my personal observations. Works about 80% of the time. However, it is precisely the understanding of such subtleties that really makes the difference fluent in language from someone who knows on paper. It’s unlikely that ordinary teachers and professors will explain this to you, you can check :)

There are pairs of modal verbs that supposedly have the same translation into Russian, but different semantic shades, hence different cases of use in English. Such word pairs often represent something like “false” equivalents. Today we will continue to deal with such pairs of verbs and consider the following modal verbs:

must — must
have to — must
ought to — must

The modal verbs must, have to and ought to have the same translation with different semantic connotations

When to use the modal verb must

Modal verb must used to convey the need to perform an action under the influence of certain circumstances, and is also used when expressing advice or order

It does not have the forms of past and future tenses, therefore, if necessary, it is replaced by have to.

We will have to be at the park by 8 o’clock, if we want to see her. — We have to be at the park by 8 o'clock if we want to see her.
He had to rewrite his essay. — He had to rewrite his essay

Must used in the following cases:

Characteristics of the modal verb have to

Modal verb have to has the ability to reflect the categories of number and person, which almost all other modal verbs are not capable of

He has to work 9 hours a day. — He must work 9 hours a day
They had to prevent us. - They should have warned us

The second characteristic is the particle -to, characteristic of only a few modal verbs.

You have to answer this question. — You have to answer this question

To construct a negative and interrogative sentence with modal verb have to need an auxiliary word to do

Do you have to write the essay? — Should you write an essay?
He doesn't have to be here. — He shouldn't be here

Modal verb must used to convey the need to perform an action due to certain circumstances that force

We have to hold meeting in this room according to timetable. — According to the schedule, we must hold a meeting in this room

The modal verb must is used to convey the need to perform an action due to certain circumstances that force

Modal verb have to has a similar meaning have got to. However, the boundaries of their use are clearly separated by the rule:

Have to used with actions that are often repeated, and have got to with specific actions

She has to make bed every morning. — She has to make the bed every morning
She has got to wash the dishes today. — She has to wash the dishes today

About the modal verb ought to

This verb has only one form and, like the previous verb, has a particle -to, standing before the main verb. Modal verb ought to extremely rarely used in interrogative and negative sentences. You can meet it in sentences of this kind only in formal text:

We ought not to discuss this problem. — We should not condemn this problem
Ought I to read this letter? — Should I read this letter?

Ought to is used:

To indicate moral duty, obligation or advice:
- You ought to say only the truth. — You must cook only the truth
To express a natural assumption:
- They have done such a difficult task and they ought to be all-out. - They did this difficult task, they must be jaded
Ought to in spoken English it is used more rarely than a verb related to it in meaning should, which has gained wider use among English speakers. In the following short video you will learn about the modal verb should.

Video: About modal verbs Must, Have to, Should, Ought to

Our whole life consists of rules and obligations: we must or are obliged to do something, we have to do something, we have to obey some rules. IN English to express a function obligations And obligations (obligation [ˌɔblɪ"geɪʃ(ə)n]) there is a modal verb must . Must indicates the obligation and necessity of performing some action. Must, like some other modal verbs, has a substitute (equivalent) - have to .

In this article we will talk about the modal verb must and its equivalent have to, consider the grammatical features of their use, as well as the differences in meaning.

Grammatical features of the verb must.

Must is a modal verb, so it does not change in gender and number and is used with the main verb in first form (V1):

In the must statement it is translated as “must, obliged”:

I must listen to the teacher at the lesson. - I have to listen to the teacher in class.

He must pay me back tomorrow. - He must pay me back tomorrow.

We must pay the taxes. - We have to pay taxes.

To form a negative form, add to the verb must negative particle not, abbreviated mustn"t:

You mustn't open the door.
She mustn"t tell this information to anyone.
They mustn't use their mobiles at the meeting.

Please note that the abbreviation negative form pronounced ["mʌs(ə)nt] or ["mʌsnt]. We will leave examples of negatives without translation for now; in the next part of the article you will find out why.

To form the interrogative form, must is placed before the subject:

The most common mistake is using the particle to with the modal verb must. Remember the rule: with modal verbs to is NEVER used. However this rule does not apply to equivalents of modal verbs.

Equivalent to must: have to.

Must, like most modal verbs, does not have past or future tenses, infinitives, gerunds, or participles. What if we need to express the function of obligation in the past tense or in the future, or we want to say a super complex construction with an infinitive or gerund?

There is an equivalent for this must: have to. Unlike must, have to has several forms: two forms of the present tense ( have to / has to ), past tense form ( had to ) and future tense ( will have to):

I must work every day/now. - I have to work every day.

I had to work yesterday. - I had to/I had to work yesterday.

I will have to work tomorrow. - I have to work tomorrow.

If it is necessary to use an infinitive, gerund or participle form, have to is also used. Such sentences are translated into Russian in different ways:

It's terrible to have to work long hours. - It's terrible when you have to work late.

We hate having to clear up the mess after cooking. - We hate that we have to clean up after cooking.

Having to look after my sister, I couldn't go out. - Since I had to look after my sister, I couldn't go for a walk.

Let's look at a table that shows the different types of statements with must in different tenses:

Have to not only replaces must in the past and future tense, but is also used in the present tense, along with must. The third person singular (he, she, it) uses the form has :

I have to call him. - He has to call me.

We have to organize this event. - She has to organize this event.

In the present tense, the negative and interrogative forms are formed using auxiliary verbs do And does . Pay attention to the examples, which we will leave without translation for now:

Do you have to wait for him?
Does she have to pay for this picture?
We don't have to give excuses.
He doesn't have to arrive earlier.

In the past tense have to And has to take the form had to:

I had to visit him yesterday.
She had to find the information.
They had to spend the evening with their parents.

Past tense negative and interrogative form equivalent have to is formed with the help auxiliary verb did:

I didn't have to call them yesterday.
He didn't have to ask for help.
They didn't have to pay in cash.

Did you have to deal with phone calls?
Did she have to sort out the papers?
Did we have to finish the project yesterday?

In the future tense, different types of utterances with have to are formed using the auxiliary verb will:

We will have to work on Saturday.
She will have to catch up with the group.
They won't have to read the rules again.
You won't have to answer the phone.
Will he have to book the tickets in advance?
Will they have to leave their coats in the cloakroom?

Meanings.

We will devote a separate part of our article to analyzing the meanings must And have to V different types statements.

Must and have to in statements.

As already stated above, must in the statement conveys obligation, duty, necessity(obligation, necessity): must, must.

Have to can also be used in affirmative sentences in the present tense. The meanings of must and have to are different, despite the similar translation. Let's look at two similar examples:

I must go home. - I have to go home.
I have to go home. - I have to go home.

Must conveys an internal obligation, that is, something that the speaker considers obligatory to fulfill because he I decided so myself; have to indicates an external obligation: something that is imposed by someone, prescribed by some rules. Let's look at examples:

I promised mother not to be late today. I must go home now. - I promised my mother not to be late today. I have to go home.
(Internal commitment: the speaker himself made the decision)

The party is awesome but mother called me and told to go home. I have to go home. - The party was amazing, but my mother called me and told me to go home. I have to go home.
(External obligation, coercion: the speaker does not make the decision himself)

I "ve put on weight. I must cut down on chocolate. - I have gained weight. I must eat less chocolate.
(Personal decision)

I saw my doctor yesterday. I have to cut down on chocolate. - I met with the doctor yesterday. I need/should eat less chocolate.
(Doctor's order)

He must go to London to visit his family. - He must go to London to visit his family.
(He himself decided to go and considers it his duty)

She has to go to Berlin to negotiate the contract. - She must/she will have to go to Berlin to negotiate the terms of the contract.
(The decision was made by her superiors, she will have to carry it out)

We must work hard if we want to pass the exam. - We must work hard if we want to pass the exam.
(We understand the importance of the exam)

We have to wear school uniform. - We must wear school uniforms.
(This is imposed on us, this is not our decision).

Must and have to in negatives.

Have to and must in negatives are a clear example of how logic can lead to misunderstanding and mistakes. Based on the fact that must And have to mean almost the same thing in statements (with the exception of the above nuances), sometimes students believe that in negatives they should have the same meaning. This is fundamentally wrong, because in negative sentences must And have to completely different in meaning.

Mustn't transmits ban(prohibition), translated "not allowed, forbidden". Let's look at the examples that we previously left without translation:

You mustn"t open this door. - This door is prohibited from opening.

She mustn"t share this information with anyone. - She is prohibited from sharing this information.

They mustn"t use their mobiles at the meeting. - They are prohibited from using mobile phones at the meeting.

It is also used to express the prohibition function in English.

Don't have to means there is no need ( lack of necessity ). Don"t have to in negatives can be translated as "this is not necessary; no need":

You don"t have to bring vine. I have bought enough. - You don’t have to bring wine. I bought enough.

We don"t have to give excuses. - We don’t have to apologize.

He doesn't have to arrive earlier. - He doesn't have to arrive earlier.

Besides don't have to no need to convey expressions don't need to And needn"t :

You don"t have to help me. = You don"t need to help me. = You needn"t help me. - You don’t have to help me.

Negation in the past tense didn"t have to indicates the absence of the need to do something (" there was no need", "didn't have to"):

I didn't have to take a bus. The shop was round the corner. - I didn't have to take the bus. The shop was around the corner.

She didn't have to introduce herself. We had met before. - She didn’t have to introduce herself. We met before.

Must and have to in questions.

Must and have to have different meanings in questions.

When asked a question with must, they want to know personal attitude of the interlocutor whether he insists on action, whether he considers action necessary:

A question with have to clarifies whether an action is necessary for the speaker:

Do you have to wait for him? - Do you have to wait for him?

Do we have to book a table? - Do we have to book a table?

Let's look again at the differences in meanings must And have to in different types of utterances:

Necessity for the future.

The need for the future is expressed by the form will have to, but if we are talking about agreements(arrangement), then it is preferable to use have to. Compare:

If I get this job, I will have to work hard. - If I get this position, I will have to work hard. (I haven't received the position yet)

This is a very important task so I have to work tomorrow. - This is a very important task, so I will have to work tomorrow. (Agreement, specific situation in the future)

The design may be used to indicate future need have got to. Meaning and translation is the same as have to, but is mainly used in colloquial speech:

I"ve got to e-mail him today. - I need to send him a letter today.

She "s got to babysit her brother tomorrow. - She must sit with her brother tomorrow.

Don't forget that the modal verb must has other functions besides obligation. For example, used for .

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