Waugh: There was something he must say

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Marius Hancu - 30 Dec 2009 13:09 GMT

Hello:

This is circa 1923, thus relatively recent.

Can "must" be used in the past time sense, as in "he must say?"

Some grammars indicate that these days only "had to" is allowed in
such contexts.

-----
[Samgrass lied about his and Sebastian's trip to the Levant, Ryder
thought:]

... I began to suspect that he was not only bluffing but cheating.
There was something he must say, did not want to say and did not quite
know how to say to Lady Marchmain about his doings ...

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 752
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Derek Turner - 30 Dec 2009 13:34 GMT

> Hello:
>
> This is circa 1923, thus relatively recent.
>
> Can "must" be used in the past time sense, as in "he must say?"

Unremarkable to me (BrE)

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Marius Hancu - 30 Dec 2009 13:38 GMT

> > This is circa 1923, thus relatively recent.
>
> > Can "must" be used in the past time sense, as in "he must say?"
>
> Unremarkable to me (BrE)

That's what I thought.

Thank you.
Marius Hancu

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Nick - 31 Dec 2009 16:00 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 752
> ----

I'm not sure it is the past tense, but my grammer is good enough to tell
you what it is. "I've got something I must say to him" is something I
can say to someone about a future event I intend to happen.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / December 2009

Waugh: There was something he must say