The Modal Verb MUST

Johnson:” It MUST be awful for an opera singer

to realize that he can never sing again.”

Jackson:” Yes, but it is much more awful if he doesn’t realize it.”

The modal verb must has only one tense form - the Present Simple.

It is used to refer an action to the present or future and in combination with the perfect infinitive it refers an action to the past.

 

· You must do it tomorrow.

· He must be still working.

· He must have done it ages ago.

 

Must can express the following meanings:

1. obligation, duty, necessity (affirmative and interrogative sentences) from the speaker’s point of view.

· I must go to the bank now.

· He must finish this report by Friday.

 

2. prohibition (in negative sentences).

· You must not come so late.

· You must not leave the house.

Note:Absence of necessity is expressed by other verbs (need or have to):

· They needn't hurry. There is a lot of time.

· You don't have to finish the work right now. It can wait.

 

3. emphatic advice (when we want to encourage someone to do something we think is important or to emphasize strong feeling or opinion)

· You mustn't be so touchy. You must stop crying.

· You really must have your hair cut.

4. supposition implying strong probability (when a particular idea or deduction is very likely or certain based on the evidence). All forms of the infinitive are used

· He must be thirty.

· You are shivering. You must be cold.

· Someone must have taken the key because it is not here.

In Russian this meaning is generally rendered by means of the
attitudinal adverbs вероятно, должно быть.

In English this meaning may also be expressed by means of the
attitudinal adverb probably.

Must in combination with the Perfect infinitive refers the ac-
tion to the past.

· Do you see him smoking over there? He must have finished his work.

· It is six o'clock. She must have come home.

The combination of must with the Perfect Continuous infinitive indicates an action begun in the past and continued into the
moment of speaking.

·It must have been raining all the night. There are big puddles in the garden.

When must expresses supposition implying strong probability,
its use is restricted in two ways:

a) It is not used with reference to the future. In this case we
find attitudinal adverbs in the sentence.

· He will probably come tomorrow.

· He will evidently know all about it.
b) It is not used in the interrogative or negative form. It is found only in the affirmative form.

Note:To express supposition implying strong probability with negative meaning, in addition to attitudinal adverbs, must + verbs to fail, to distrust, to dislike, to disapprove, to disbelieve, to misunderstand, to be unaware or words nobody, never, nothing are used

· He must have failed to get in touch with her.

· He must have misunderstood you.

· He must be unaware of that.

· He must never have guessed the truth.

Note:We use must to say we are sure that something is true:

· Tow has been painting the fence all day long. He must be tired.

· Your friend knows a lot about football. He must be a confirmed football supporter.

We use can’t to say that we think something is impossible:

· You’ve just eaten the whole pizza. You can’t be hungry.

For the past we use must have (done) and can’t have (done).

Note: Remember the following set-phrases with the verb must:

a) Must needs denotes obligation.

· He must needs go there. (Он непременно должен пойти туда.)

b) must be going and / must be off both mean 'it is time for
me to go* (in Russian Мне пора уходить).

c) must tell you that... and / must say... are stereotyped
phrases in which the meaning of obligation is considerably weakened in must.

d) In the sentences: You must come and see me some time.
You must come and have dinner with me. You must come to our
party. You must come and stay with us for the week end and the
like, the meaning of obligation in must is also weakened. Must
has become part of such sentences which are a common way of expressing invitations.

 

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Имеет только одну форму - настоящего времени. В предложении относится к действию, совершаемому в настоящем или к будущему времени. За ним следует инфинитив смыслового глагола без частицы to.

Выражает:

а) необходимость совершения действия в силу личного убеждения, обусловленная обстоятельствами, моральными принципами и т.п. - должен, нужно, надо;

б) предположение, граничащее с уверенностью - должно быть, вероятно.

В утвердительных и вопросительных предложениях, относящихся к настоящему или будущему, только с простым инфинитивом, must выражает долженствование, необходимость произвести действие.

 

В утвердительных предложениях:

I must hurry to catch the last train.	Я должен торопиться, чтобы успеть на последний поезд.
You must phone home at once.	Ты должен позвонить домой немедленно.
He must be at school now.	Он должен быть в школе сейчас.
I must do it tomorrow.	Я должен сделать это завтра
Этот глагол самый категоричный из глаголов долженствования, поэтому при выражении настоятельного совета или приглашения его можно переводить на русский язык словами: обязательно должен, непременно нужно.
You must see the play.	Ты обязательно должен посмотреть эту пьесу.
You must read this article.	Вы непременно должны прочесть эту статью.

В вопросительных предложениях:

Must I write it down?	Должен я это записать?
Must we leave at once?	Должны ли мы уйти/уехать сразу же?

В отрицательных предложениях, также с простым инфинитивом, он приобретает значение категорического запрещения производить действие – нельзя, не должен, запрещается.

You mustn’t miss your lectures.	Ты не должен пропускать лекции.
You mustn’t tell anyone about that.	Ты не должна никому об этом рассказывать.