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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

mustn't / must not

0I can hear John's phone ringing but no one is answering it; he 01font01b00mustn't02b00 02font00be at home.02br
02br
00I can hear John's phone ringing but no one is answering it; he 01b01font00must not02font02b00 be at home.02br
02br
00Can I use both of them? Or one of them is incorrect? (I know I could also use 01font01b00can't02b02font00/01font01b00couldn't02b02font00 instead, but I'm not sure if I can use 01font01b00must not02b00/01b00mustn't02b02font00 as well. )02br
02br
00Thank you!0-
  

Top answer

0Hi Viceidol,02br 02br 00Going strictly by ear, "must not" works fine in your example, but we seem to use the contraction only in cases where we're warning someone not to do something. 02br 02br 00You mustn't be at home when they come. 02br 02br 00I have the sense that in your example, the "not" goes with the "be at home," and the contraction somehow gets in the way of that.

— Avangi

  • 0Hi Viceidol,02br 02br 00Going strictly by ear, "must not" works fine in your example, but we seem to use the contraction only in cases where we're warning someone not to do something.
  • 02br 02br 00You mustn't be at home when they come.
  • 02br 02br 00I have the sense that in your example, the "not" goes with the "be at home," and the contraction somehow gets in the way of that.
  • The "must" is the logical result of the first clause.
  • 0-
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3 Answers
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0Hi Viceidol,02br
02br
00Going strictly by ear, "must not" works fine in your example, but we seem to use the contraction only in cases where we're warning someone not to do something. I have no idea why.02br
02br
00You mustn't be at home when they come. They're planning to kill you.02br
02br
00I have the sense that in your example, t
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0Hi,02br
02br
01font00Can I use both of them? 02font00Yes, although in spoken English you often hear the abbreviation.02br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive0-
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0Thank you, Avangi and Clive, I underatsnd now.0-
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