What kind of verb is must

Have to is often grouped with modal auxiliary verbs for convenience, but in fact it is not a modal verb. It is not even an auxiliary verb. In the have to structure, "have" is a main verb. In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. The subject of have to is obliged or forced to act by a separate, external power for example, the Law or school rules. Have to is objective. Look at these examples:. In each of the above cases, the obligation is not the subject's opinion or idea.

The obligation comes from outside. We can use have to in all tenses , and also with modal auxiliaries. We conjugate it just like any other main verb. The researchers have parsed the whole of Wiktionary and other sources, and compiled everything into a single unified resource.

I simply extracted the Wiktionary entries and threw them into this interface! So it took a little more work than expected, but I'm happy I kept at it after the first couple of blunders. Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: the UBY project mentioned above , mongodb and express. They should arrive at one o'clock.

Words nearby must Mussolini , Mussolini, Benito , Mussorgsky , Mussulman , mussy , must , mustache , mustache cup , mustachio , mustachioed , Mustafa Kemal. Origin of must 3 First recorded in —; back formation from musty 1. Origin of must 4 First recorded in —90; earlier moist, from Middle French must, variant of musc; see origin at musk.

Words related to must precondition , prerequisite , requisite , charge , commitment , committal , condition , devoir , duty , fundamental , imperative , must-have , necessary , need , obligation , requirement , right , have , ought , sine qua non.

How to use must in a sentence Ohio is a must -win swing state for Republicans if they are to reclaim the White House.

Punch's Almanack for Various. The Limit Ada Leverson. There is no past tense, but had to is used for saying that something was necessary in the past: We had to show our passports.

Must have followed by a past participle can be used for saying that you believe something happened in the past: They must have missed the train. When indirect speech is introduced by a verb in the past tense, must can be used as a past tense: She said that I must come immediately.

For saying that something will be necessary in the future will have to can be used: Graham will have to sleep on the sofa. Synonyms and related words. Modal verbs. Ways of making a suggestion. I have to pay off my debts. Open Dictionary — December See also.