what is the difference between I must and I have to

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Colette Galland - 16 Apr 2006 13:49 GMT

As the subject says :
" what is the difference between I must and I have to" ?
Is it country dependant (ie it has a different meaning in UK , US,
Australia, Canada...) ?

thanks
Colette

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John Ramsay - 17 Apr 2006 07:15 GMT

>As the subject says :
>" what is the difference between I must and I have to" ?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
>

No real difference in any of the countries referred to.

'Have got to' is considered unacceptable by some
but 'I've gotta go' is common.

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Thomas - 19 Apr 2006 09:02 GMT

> As the subject says :
> " what is the difference between I must and I have to" ?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> thanks
> Colette

There is no real difference between the two, except perhaps that "must"
often expresses an obligation that comes from the speaker, while "have to"
expresses an obligation imposed upon the speaker by someone or something
else.

Cheers,
Thomas

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TeachESL - 02 May 2006 19:49 GMT

Yes, Thomas is correct. For example, you have to stop at a red light
(the obligation is imposed by the law). I must get my hair cut (the
obligation is imposed by the speaker). And, of course, there is no
"to" after the word must which many of my students say. It's a hard
habit to break. So I tell them to use 'have to' all the time! lol
Avoids the problem entirely.

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Liam - 26 Apr 2006 18:02 GMT

The meaning is identical, but "Must" is a modal verb with some
limitations.

One can put "have to" in past tense: "I had to" but "must" does not
work that way: "I musted"??? It works in German though.

"Have to" is just a cheap replacement for a decaying verb -- in Britain
and America.
See Grammar Playsheets:
http://abacus-es.com/sat/playsheets.html

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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / May 2006

what is the difference between I must and I have to