UNIT 28. Must and can't

    A. Study this example:

  We use must to say that we feel sure something is true:

  * You've been travelling all day. You must be tired. (Travelling is tiring and you've been travelling all day, so you must be tired.)

  * 'Jim is a hard worker.' 'Jim? A hard worker? You must be joking. He's very lazy.'

  * Carol must get very bored in her job. She does the same thing every day.

  We use can't to say that we feel sure something is not possible:

  * You've just had lunch. You can't be hungry already. (People are not normally hungry just after eating a meal. You've just eaten, so you can't be hungry.)

  * Brian said he would definitely be here before 9.30. It's 10 o'clock now and he's never late. He can't be coming.

  * They haven't lived here for very long. They can't know many people.

  Study the structure:

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't be (tired/hungry/at work etc.)

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't be (doing/coming/joking etc.) do/go/know/have etc.

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't do/go/know/have etc.

    B. For the past we use must have (done) and can't have (done). Study this example:

  George is outside his friends' house.

  He has rung the doorbell three times but nobody has answered.

  They must have gone out. (otherwise they would have answered)

  * The phone rang but I didn't hear it. I must have been asleep.

  * I've lost one of my gloves. I must have dropped it somewhere.

  * Jane walked past me without speaking. She can't have seen me.

  * Tom walked straight into a wall. He can't have been looking where he was going.

  Study the structure:

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't have been (asleep/at work etc.)

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't have been (doing/working etc.)

  I/you/he (etc.) must/can't have done /gone/known/had etc.

  Couldn't have ... is possible instead of can't have...:

  * She couldn't have seen me.

  * Tom couldn't have been looking where he was going.