Reference > Usage > American Heritage® Book of English Usage > 1. Grammar > § 36. must
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The American Heritage® Book of English Usage.
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English.  1996.

1. Grammar: Traditional Rules, Word Order, Agreement, and Case

§ 36. must


The auxiliary verb must is used to express necessity, obligation, and probability: Plants must have water in order to live. Swimmers must take a shower before entering the pool. You must be joking. Unlike other auxiliaries like can and may, must has no past form like could or might: They insisted we must wait until tomorrow. In this regard must resembles need and ought to.    1
  More at auxiliary and primary verbs, have to, may, need, ought, and should.    2


The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
 
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