MUST

Must + infinitive (must do / must see, etc):

I / we / you / they / he / she
/ it
must

do
go
stop
write

Use must when you think it is necessary or very important to do something:

- The windows are very dirty. I must clean them.
- Its a fantastic film. You must see it.
- We must go to the bank today. We havent got any money

Must is present or future:

-

I must go to the bank now.

I must go to the bank tomorrow.

For the past (yesterday / last week etc), we use had to + infinitive (had to go /
had to do / had to write etc):
- I had to go to the bank yesterday (= It was necessary for me to go to the
bank)
- We had to walk home last night. There was no bus.

Mustnt (must not)

I mustnt do it = it is important not to do it, it is bad thing to do:
-

I must hurry. I mustnt be late.

I mustnt forget to phone George. (= I must remember)
You mustnt walk on the grass. (= Dont walk on the grass)

Neednt (need not)

I neednt do it = it is not necessary to do it. I dont need to do it:
- I neednt clean the windows. They arent dirty.
- You neednt go to the bank. I can give you some money.
You can also say dont need to(= neednt):
-

I dont need to clean the windows.

You dont need to go to the bank.

SHOULD
Should + infinitive (should do / should write etc)
I / we / you / they / he / she
/ it
should
shouldnt

do
go
stop
write

(Someone) should do something = It is a good thing to do or the right thing to

do:
- Tom should go to bed earlier. He usually goes to bed very late and hes
always tired.
- Its a good film. You should go and see it.
- When you play tennis, you should always watch the ball.
Shouldnt (or should not) = its not a good thing to do or its not the right thing
to do:
- Tom shouldnt go to bed so late.
- Ypu work all the time. You shouldnt work so hard.
We often use think with should:
I think.should.
I think Carol should buy some new clothes. (= I think its a
good idea)
Its late. I think we should go home now.
Shall I buy this coat?
Yes, I think you should.
I dont thinkshould
I dont think you should work so hard. (= I dont think its a
good idea)
I dont think the police should carry guns.
Do you thinkshould
Do you think I should buy this jacket?
What time do you think we should go home?

HAVE TO
I have to do something = it is necessary for me to do it, I am obliged to do it:
I / we / you / they have
He / she / it has

to do
to work
to go
to wear

Ill be late for work tomorrow. I have to go to the dentist.

Jill starts work at 7.00, so he has to get up at 6.00
You have to pass a test before you can get a driving licence.

The past (yesterday / last week etc) is had to

- I was late for work yesterday. I had to go to the dentist.
- There was no bus, so we had to walk home.

In questions and negatives we use do / does (present) and did (past):

Present
Do I / we / you / they] have to?
Does he / she / it ] have to?
I/we/you/they dont } have to
He/she/it doesnt } have to
Past
Did}I/we/you/they} have to?
Did}he/she/it
} have to?
I/we/you/they/he/she/it} didnt have to
-

What time do you have to get up tomorrow morning?

Does Jill have to work on Saturdays?
Why did they have to leave the party early?

I dont have to do (something) = it is not necessary to do it:

- Im not working tomorrow, so I dont have to get up early.
- Ian doesnt have to work very hard. Hes got an easy job.
- We didnt have to wait very long. The bus soon came.

Use have to (not must) when you are not giving your personal opinion:
- Jill wont be here this afternoon. She has to go to the doctor. (This is my
opinion it is a fact)
- In many countries, men have to do military service. (this is not my opinion
it is the law in those countries)