English differences between have and must. English Modal Verbs: Getting Acquainted and Learning to Use

I must answer this letter. (= I have to answer this letter.)
I have to answer this letter.

Forms of the modal verb must:

MUST is used in all persons and can refer to the present and future tenses.

I must do it now. I have to do it now.
I must do it tomorrow. I have to do it tomorrow.

In the past time must used only in indirect speech.

Negative form: must not (mustn't).

Interrogative form: must I? etc.

Interrogative-negative form: must I not? (mustn't I?), etc.

Instead of a verb must verb can be used have to in the present and future tenses, and in the present and past tenses in colloquial form have got to, had got to etc.

In the past tense instead of a verb must the verb is used have in the past tense followed by an infinitive with to (had to) or had got to.

The interrogative form of the turnover have to is formed using the auxiliary verb to do, a have got to - by setting the verb have before the subject.

The negative form of turnover have to is formed using the auxiliary verb to do, a have got to - by posing a negation not after the verb have.

A special difference in meaning between interrogative forms in the present tense Have I got to? And Do I have to? etc. no, but the latter is preferable for expressing habitual actions. There is not much difference between the forms have to in the past tense Had I (got) to? And Did I have to? etc., but the latter is preferable.

Future turnover time have to is formed in the same way as the future simple indefinite tense in the case of using any other verb.

Why does he have to go there? (= Why has he got to go there?)
Why should he go there?

I don't have to go there. (= I haven't got to go there.)
I don't need to go there.

We didn't have to go there with John.
We didn't have to go there with John.

Did he have to go there with her?
Did he have to go there with her?

Will he have to ask her about it again?
Would he really have to ask her about it again?

I shan't have to go to that place again.
I won't have to go there again.

The use of the verbs must and have to

In affirmative form:

1. Must- to express a moral obligation, an obligation imposed by someone or coming from the speaker, as well as an internally realized need.

You must make your bed yourself.
You must make your own bed.

Go if you must.
Go if you must (if you feel it is necessary).

I must go immediately.
I have to go immediately (because it might be late, etc.).

Have to- to express a duty, but caused by circumstances.

You will have to make your bed yourself when you join the army.
You'll have to make your own bed when you join the army. ( The army is required to do so.)

He has to get up at 7 o' clock.
He has to get up at 7 o'clock. ( Circumstances force - for example, he studies in the first shift.)

Note:
For the 1st person, this difference is less significant.
Have to usually used to express an ordinary action, often repeated, turning into a habit.
Must used to express an extremely necessary, important action.

I have to be at my office at nine every day.
I have to be at work every day at 9 o'clock.

We have to water this cactus twice a month.
We have to water this cactus twice a month.

I must ring him up at 10. It's very important.
I have to call him at 10 o'clock. It is very important.

2. Must- to express urgent advice or invitation. In such cases, translated into Russian (necessarily) must, (definitely) must.

You must come and see our new house. It's so lovely.
You should definitely come and see our new home. He is so beautiful.

You must read this article.
You should definitely read this article.

In interrogative form:

1. Must and its equivalents have to And have got to- to express obligation and necessity. At the same time, the equivalents have to and have got to are more common in these meanings in the question than must, since they do not convey additional shades of reluctance, irritation, etc., characteristic of the use of the verb must, which has the meaning "necessarily must."

Must I go there immediately?
Do I have to go there immediately?

When does he have to go there? (When has he got to go there?)
When should he go there?

2. Have to is used more often than must to express an obligation in the future, forced from the outside.

Shall I have to answer your question? When will you have to do it?
Do I need to answer your question? When will you need to do this?

3. Have to and (less often) must are used to express a common action that is often repeated.

child: Must I clean my teeth tonight?
Child: Should I brush my teeth tonight?

Do you have to wind your watch every day?
Do you have to wind your watch every day?

In the negative form, must not or need not is used.

Must not - indicates that the action is prohibited.
Need not - indicates that there is no need to perform an action.

You must not speak like that to your mother.
You shouldn't talk to your mother like that.

You mustn't miss your lectures.
You must not miss lectures.

If you have a headache need not go to school.
If you have a headache, you shouldn't go to school.

In response to a question beginning with a verb must, in the affirmative answer is used must, in the negative - needn't.

Mustn't also has the meaning of a categorical prohibition ( mustn't, shouldn't, mustn't), and therefore this form is typical for prohibiting children, expressing warnings in announcements, etc.

You mustn't go there anyway.
Either way, you can't go there.

Mustn't is also used in the sense of "not possible" in the negative answer to the question May...? (Can (can) ...?).

May I take that pen? - Can I have that pen? -
No, you mustn't. No you can not.

2. Must used to express conjecture. At the same time, notice the difference in the use of structures

must + Indefinite Infinitive and must + Perfect Infinitive

Must + Indefinite Infinitive used to express a probability, an assumption that the speaker believes
quite plausible. This combination translates must be probably and is used in relation to an action in the present tense.

They must know his address.
1. They must (probably) know his address.
2. They must know his address.

Not must be in the library now.
1. He must be in the library now.
2. He should be in the library now.

Must + Perfect Infinitive used to express a possibility, an assumption of the same nature, but in relation to the past tense, and is also translated as must be probably.

They must have known his address.
They must have known his address.

They must have forgotten my address.
They must (probably) have forgotten my address.

She must have gone to her parents.
She must have gone to her parents.

Relative pronouns in English are pronouns that form a relative clause. These include: who, whom, which, whose, that.

In English, there is such a thing as may, must, should or be able to. Three of them are translated into Russian with the same word - "should". They are just one of the most frequent confusions of Russian-speaking people. But what then is the difference between should, if their meanings are approximately similar?

In fact, they are not very similar. All of them are translated as "should", but have different emotional meanings. Let's try to understand this, what is the difference between should, must and have to.

Should

This modal verb is used when we give someone friendly advice or some soft recommendations. This can also be translated into Russian as "should". When it's cold outside, we say to a close friend, "You should put on a jacket!" But at the same time, a friend can either listen to advice, or do as he wants. That is, should does not imply any mandatory action.

• I think Mary should find a job. - I think Mary should find a job.
• Jonh should listen to his parents more often. John should listen to his parents more often.
• You should be kinder to your children! They are so nice! - You should (you should) be kinder to your children. They are so cute!

In some cases, should can take a more blunt form, depending on the context in which it is used:

• You should do what I ask! - You should (you should) do what I ask!

This modal verb can also be used to ask for the same kind of friendly advice or recommendation:

• Should I buy that red dress? Should I buy that red dress?

Must

What is the difference between should and must? The difference between should and must is that the second modal verb can rigidly explain some obligatory action that someone MUST and MUST do. Often must is some kind of moral duty, for example, the duty to defend one's country or to obey the law. That is, this modal verb is used when you are talking about some of your own beliefs or about generally accepted rules and laws.

• Every man must think about the environment. - Every person must think about the environment.
• I am a soldier, and soldiers must follow instructions. - I am a soldier, and soldiers must follow instructions.
• You must be stronger and forget about him! - You should be stronger and forget about him!

In negative sentences, it acts as some kind of sharp, categorical prohibition to do something. Usually translated as "no".

• You must not lie to me! - You can't lie to me!
• You are too weak, you musn "t smoke! - You are too weak, you can't smoke!
• Alice musn "t be here, and you know that. - Alice can't be here, and you know it.

Must is usually not used in an interrogative form and does not change from time to time, for this there is the next word - have to.

Have to

This word is not a modal verb, like the previous two, but is also translated into Russian as "should". It is used when talking about some kind of forced action: "I had to", "I was forced." You can also translate have to as "to be forced", "required", "have to".

Let's give simple examples in Russian.

If a person has poor eyesight, he has to wear glasses to see normally. Mary wanted to go out with her friends, but she had to stay at home to look after her little brother. Alex and Jessica said a quick goodbye because Alex had to leave town at five.

In all these cases, the English version uses have to.

• She has a myopia. That "s why she has to wear glasses. - She has myopia. That's why she wears (she has to wear) glasses.
• Sorry, Jessica, I have to go now. My bus leaves the city at five o "clock. - Sorry, Jessica, I have to (I have to) go now. The bus leaves the city at five o'clock.

Unlike must in negative sentences, it means that there is no need to do something or that some action is not mandatory. Whereas must certainly means a categorical prohibition to do something.

• You don "t have to help us with all this stuff. - You don't have to (no need) help us with all this stuff.
• You didn't have to make desicion by yourself, so it's Ok, Lucy. “You didn’t have to decide everything on your own, so it’s okay, Lucy.

Have to is used in interrogative sentences with auxiliary verbs to ask about the need to do something. Often translated into Russian by the word "necessary" or "necessary".

• Do I really have to learn history? - Do I really need to learn history?
• Will I have to go shopping? - Do I need to go shopping?

Have to as an analogue of must

Depending on the time, have to can change and replace must in the past and future tenses.

• Mary had been invited to the party, but she had to look after her younger brother. - Mary was invited to the party, but she had (she had to) look after her younger brother.
• Actually, you had to turn right. - Actually, you should have (you should have) turned right.
• Mike, you will have to do all housework, make meal, feed the cat and call us every day after your classes while we are not home. - Mike, you will have to (you will have to) do all the housework, cook food, feed the cat and call us every day after class while we are not at home.

Since must is neither in the past nor in the future, have to can be substituted to show a past or future must, as shown in the previous sentences. Also used in interrogative sentences instead of must:

• Do I have to follow all these rules? - Do I have to follow all these rules?

Ought to and should: what's the difference?

We have already discussed the difference between should, must and have to, but there is another modal verb that is similar in meaning to the verb should, but is much less common. They are very often confused, all of them, one might say, are almost similar. But still there is a slight difference in their use.

In many cases, they can replace each other, since both indicate advice or recommendation. However, should is used much more often in interrogative sentences and any formal or more polite advice. And ought to is more an expression of an obligation based on any personal beliefs, a sharper remark to do something right.

• Alice ought to ask her parents before making such decisions! - Alice should (it would have been more correct) to ask her parents before making such decisions.
• Your ought to be more understanding to his problem. - You should be more understanding about his problems.

The verb ought is not used in the future tense, and most often the time is clear from the context. Also, it does not change in faces.

• You ought to go with us tomorrow. - You should come with us tomorrow.

We can say that outgh to is the brother of the modal verb should, but with a touch of obligation. Although in any situation where ought to can be used, should can also be used.

In the article, we have analyzed the difference between should, must and have to and provided examples to better understand their meanings.

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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 in our sense of "I have to." Those. I myself do not want to, but I am being forced from outside. I'd be happy not to, but if I don't, it will be bad.

Example: " sorry,Ican'tgo-Ihave to domyhomework" - "I'm sorry, I can't go, I have to do my homework."

It means that a person wants to go, and does not want to do homework at all, but, alas, he is forced to do it and therefore he cannot go where he wants to go.

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 formed in such a way that I have to leave you ... but I really like you and, if if I had such an opportunity, I would have spent a lot of 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 is forcing you. But because you yourself have decided so. Because it must be done in order to achieve some of your goals of a higher order. For example, you have decided for yourself that now you will get up early every day. Accordingly, you cannot stay for a late party.

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

NEED

Need is a need. When you say "I need something", which means "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 in a company. You need her, she doesn't need you. That's when you say "I need to join that company."

The difference from have to here is that no one and nothing forces you. You are simply 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 relies do something in accordance with your social role, status, position. For example, you can often hear the phrase "You shouldn't be doing that!". It means "You don't should do it!" This, for example, happens when a person climbs somewhere where he is not supposed to. For example, he enters the chief's office and rummages through his desk. Those. should is used when we are dealing with public perceptions of how you must act and how not.

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

CONCLUSION

Once again I remind you 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 distinguishes a person who really knows the language from someone who knows it on paper. It is unlikely that ordinary teachers and teachers will explain this to you, you can check it 🙂

In English, must and have to both perform the same function: they show the obligation of some action. But despite their similarity, these verbs are used in different speech situations, require different auxiliary verbs and interact with tenses in different ways. Let's understand what is the difference between must and have to.

Difference between must and have to

The modal verb must is much more personal than have to, and is used to express personal feelings and feelings. While have to is impersonal, it is usually used when talking about events and facts.

I must go to work- I have to go to work.
We have to visit our aunt We need to visit our aunt.

There is also a difference in the negative forms of verbs: mustn't and don't have to. If the denial of don’t have to means that you simply don’t need to do something (although you can), then the use of the denial of mustn’t is practically an order “don’t do it!”

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You don't have to be there today! All would be done without you You don't have to be there today. Everything will be done without you.
You mustn't be late- You can't be late.

When to use must

The first thing to remember about the modal verb must is that it does not have a past tense form, the grammar of the English language assumes that must is used only in the present and future and does not change its form. For the past tense, had to is used (the past tense form of the modal verb have to).

You must visit a psychologist now- You should visit a psychologist now.
She must visit a psychologist next Sunday - She must visit a psychologist next Sunday.

The verb must reflects an internal obligation, the need to do something. This verb can be used in written instructions, strong recommendations. This is best translated into Russian by the words "should" and "must".

You must brush your teeth- You have to brush your teeth.
You must sign these papers You must sign these documents.

In addition, with the help of the verb must, you can convey an assumption / conclusion.

You must be bored- You must be bored.
Kate must have known her- Kate must have known her.

When to use have to

The verb have to in colloquial speech is used much more often than must. It denotes such a need to do something, which is not due to internal necessity, but to external circumstances. Unlike must, the modal verb have to needs auxiliary verbs, can change over time and change its form.

I have to go- I have to go.
I had to go- I had to go.
I will have to go- I'll have to go.

Examples with translation:

You must ask her about this situation You should ask her about this situation.
We must end it right now We have to finish this right now.
You must build a boat to escape the island You must build a boat to escape this island.
She must do her homework She has to do her homework.
We have to buy food and coffee We need to buy food and coffee.
We had to use it right We had to use it correctly.
I will have to teach you how to be villains“I will have to teach you how to be a villain.

Video about the difference between have to and must:

Must- this is a very "hard" verb that expresses a duty or a need to do something. Must stronger than should. If in case should there is still some choice (to do or not to do), then in the case must no choice! That's an order.

Have to has the same meaning as must.

1. Must and have to are used to express the need to do something.

Example

I must leave. - I must go.
I have to leave. - I must go.
In this situation must And have to are used interchangeably.

2. The difference in the use of must and have to

Must is more personal. Must used to express personal feelings and sensations.

Example

I must do my best. - I have to do my best.
In this case, the speaker expresses his feelings about this.

Have to is impersonal. Have to used when talking about facts, not personal feelings.

Example

I have to visit my doctor. - I have to visit my doctor.
Apparently, not everything is in order with health, and this is a fact that you cannot argue with, and not some kind of personal feeling.

Note

Sometimes the difference in usage must And have to so subtle that it is difficult to determine which verb to use. In such situations it is better to use have to.

3. Must - there is no past!

remember the verb must has no past tense form!
Therefore, it can be used for the present and future tenses, but not for the past.

Example

We must visit a doctor now. - We should visit a doctor now.
We must visit a doctor tomorrow. - We have to visit the doctor tomorrow.

4. Have to - for all forms

Unlike must, have to can be used for all forms, including the past tense.

Example

I had to visit my doctor. - I had to visit my doctor.

We can't say here must because time is past! Therefore, we calmly use the equivalent must - have to!

5. Logical inference

Must used when the speaker draws a conclusion based on the facts. And although at the same time he has full confidence that his conclusion is the absolute truth, it is not far from that. The Russian analogue is the “should be” construction. And where it should, there and must!

Example

The ground is wet. It must be raining. - The ground is wet. It must be raining.

The ground is wet - so we concluded that it is raining! And since we have iron logic, we use must! 'Cause it's raining must go, he just can't help but go!

6 Mustn't and don't have to are two big differences

Mustn't= don't do it! That's an order! (don't do it)
Don't' have to= do not need to do this or optional (but in principle it is possible)

Examples

You mustn't be late. - You mustn't be late.
(Don't be late! You can't be late!)

You don't have to be on time. - You don't have to be on time.
Those. you might be late. But in principle, you can come on time.