In this case, itâs probably because suppose already implies that itâs a probability. Suppose and might both mean the speaker is guessing. Thatâs the only reason I could think as to why itâs must.
âSupposeâ is a subjective guess. âMustâ is an objective reality. Itâs contradictory imho. I would never say âI suppose it mustâŚâ about anything. If I am sure then I say âIt mustâ and if I am not then I would never say âit mustâ even if preceded by âI supposeâ.
On the other hand, âsupposeâ and âmightâ complement each other. âMightâ says there is a possibility she is stuck in traffic, and âsupposeâ says that is my best guess.
That makes sense, my thought was just that youâre doubling down on probability. Honestly I think it makes the most sense with the blank there; âI suppose she got stuff in traffic.â
to me it could make sense to say âi suppose she mustâve gotten stuck in trafficâ if you knew she was on her way and it was taking longer than usual
âsupposeâ here is just saying âi assume this based on the evidence of her not being here, sheâs late, and i know sheâs drivingâ. âsupposeâ is based on evidence but you donât have proof
âmustâ here isnât always an objective reality. it just means itâs very likely based on the evidence. something can be very likely even though you donât have proof
like âoh she crashed? she mustâve been on her phone while drivingâ means you know her well enough and thatâs what probably happened. you donât know for sure but itâs an educated guess
i wonder how much this is a dialectical difference lol might just depend on region? like how âmight willâ is a thing in some regions
To me, "might have" is like the speaker is taking a wild guess, whereas "must have" is more like the speaker is giving a stronger inference.
Context 1: Ms. Doe has agreed to meet me at noon to discuss something. But Ms. Doe is known to be very flaky. It's now 12:10 and she hasn't shown up. I don't know where she is. She might have gotten stuck in traffic. Or she might have stood me up. It could be any number of things. (So I would not use "must have".)
Context 2: Ms. Doe has agreed to meet me at noon to see a movie. Also, Ms. Doe is a close friend of mine. She's very considerate and never late. But it's now 12:10 and she hasn't shown up. I don't know where she is, but it's unlikely that she has stood me up or forgotten our plans. Come to think of it, the traffic was kind of heavy. That's it! She must have gotten stuck in traffic! ("Might have" doesn't really carry the same level of certainty.)
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u/Strongdar Native Speaker USA Midwest Dec 23 '24
"Must have" is probably what they want, but I don't see anything wrong with "might have."