The word “must” is used to talk about strong obligations, rules, or something that is very important or necessary. It is also used to give advice or make suggestions.
- Obligation/Rule: “You must wear a seatbelt in the car.”
- Advice: “You must try this new restaurant!”
- Negative Form: “Must not” or “mustn’t” is used to say that something is prohibited.
- Example: “You mustn’t use your phone in the exam.”
Note: “Must” does not change for different people, and it is followed by the base form of the verb.
How NOT to use ‘must’
Must is never followed by ‘to’:
- Incorrect: ❌ He must to go to work every day.
- Correct: 😁 He must go to work every day.
Must is never used in the past or the future.
Modern Examples
Positive:
- I must call my friend today.
- She must bring her passport for the flight.
- They must clean their desks before leaving.
Negative:
- You must not forget your homework.
- He mustn’t park his car here.
- We must not talk during the movie.
Interrogative:
- Must I finish this now?
- Must she attend the meeting?
- Must they turn off their phones?
Table of Forms
| Person | Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I must finish my work. | I must not (mustn’t) be late. | Must I finish my work? |
| You | You must study for the test. | You must not cheat in the test. | Must you study for the test? |
| He/She/It | He must help his team. | He must not waste time. | Must he help his team? |
| We | We must follow the rules. | We must not break the rules. | Must we follow the rules? |
| They | They must arrive on time. | They must not make noise. | Must they arrive on time? |
Keep learning:
This is where you can learn more about ‘have to’ in English.
Go to this post to learn more about using ‘must’ in English.
Go here to learn how to use ‘should’ in English.
In this post, you’ll learn more about using ‘can’ and ‘could’ in English.
If you click here, you can learn more about ‘may’ and ‘might’ in English.
Here’s how ‘will’ and ‘would’ are used in English.