Question
abuelattashesht
23 January

  • Arabic
  • English (US)
Question about English (US)

hello guys,
I'm a little confused with the word "must".

I understand how to use it in the middle of sentences.

eg: I must finish my homework before my mom comes.

but I'm not sure if the following is correct.

eg: the must ...
why do you prefer Italian cuisine the must?
eg: is must ...
using catchup with pizza is must.
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MetRon
23 January

  • English (US)

"Why do you prefer Italian cuisine the must?" -Incorrect. "Must" is not used like this.
"Why do you prefer Italian cuisine the most?" -Correct and natural
"Using ketchup with pizza is must" -Incorrect
"Using ketchup with pizza is a must" -Correct and natural. You must use "a".
But using ketchup on pizza sounds weird! Do you like it?

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1953Silvertone
23 January

  • English (US)

"must" vs "most."
• I like Italian food the most. [Of all the food I like, I like Italian food more than any other.]
• Catsup on pizza is a must. ["a must" is an expression meaning "something necessary"]

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Raichuu
23 January

  • English (US)

You're actually using the wrong word in the first sentence.

It's "why do you prefer Italian cuisine the most?"
Here "most" is similar to best, so it's asking why you think Italian cuisine is the best.

In the second sentence, it's actually
"Using ketchup with pizza is a must"
Here, "must" means something you should do (because it tastes good).

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abuelattashesht
23 January

  • Arabic
@MetRon
thank you 😁
and yeah I love hot ketchup with pizza 😆 it would make it better
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Cece_F
23 January

  • English (US)

“Must” means you have to. I think you confused “most” with “must” they sound similar, but are very different. “Most” means the greatest amount. So the sentence would be “why do you prefer Italian cuisine the most?” This means why is Italian cuisine the one you like best?
The second one there is a typo or spelling error. “Catchup” should be “ketchup”. Catchup you fell behind and you’re trying to make up the lost ground. For example, if you’re walking with your friends, and you stop to tie your shoe and they keep walking, you’d have to run to catch up.
Ketchup is a sauce made from tomatoes and sugar. If your friend really likes ketchup on pizza, they might tell you “Using ketchup with pizza is a must.” This is slang, because it is not a must, but they strongly suggest it.
Hopefully this helps and keep up the great work!

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1953Silvertone
23 January

  • English (US)

P.S. Both spellings (catsup, ketchup) are used.

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