When to use have to has to had to. Modal verb Have To

The turn have to (same as the verb must) in English language has the meaning of “to be due, obligated.” Often actions in it are forced, since they do not depend on the person and are caused by external reasons.

Table: Turnover have to

I won't be at work tomorrow. I have to go to the doctor. I won't be at work tomorrow. I have to go to the doctor.
Linda has to get up early. She works very hard. Linda has to get up early. She works a lot.
You have to do an exam at the end of course. You must take an exam at the end of the course.

In the past tense the construction takes the form had to:

I wasn’t at work yesterday. I had to go to the doctor. I wasn't at work yesterday. I had to go to the doctor.
We went to the store last night. We had to buy some food. We went to the store last night. We had to buy some food.

2

In interrogative and negative sentences, the do form of the verb is added to have to. The rules here are the same as in Present Simple and Past Simple.

Table: Have to and past tense

What time do you have to leave? When should you leave?
Does Jane have to work on Saturdays? Does Jane have to work on Saturdays?
How much did you have to pay for the new house? How much did you have to pay for your new home?
I’m not going anywhere tomorrow, so I don’t have to get up early. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, so I don't have to get up early.
Ian doesn't have to meet me. I know the way. Ian shouldn't meet me. I know the way.
Dan didn't have to wait very long. The bus arrived soon. Dan didn't have to wait very long. The bus arrived soon.

3

Both forms can be used when expressing a personal opinion about what should be done:

If there is a statement of fact, and not a personal opinion, have to is used exclusively.

Jane won't be at work today. She has to go to the doctor. Jane won't be at work today. She should go to the doctor.
In many countries, men have to do military service. In many countries, men are required to serve in the military.

Modal verb have to is used in English most often to describe and express the necessity and obligation to perform a certain action. However, it can also describe certainty, certainty or probability, but in these semantic meanings it is used less often.

In many ways, have to is very similar to must, and sometimes it is easy to confuse their use. However, if must is a firm obligation that cannot be discussed and must be fulfilled, then the expression have to has a certain connotation of compulsion. That is, a person may not want to do certain actions, but he is obliged to do it, and not out of moral motives, but under some kind of pressure.

You can easily determine the difference between the use of certain verbs if you consider one situation with different emotional overtones.

Jack, I need to tell you something. - Jack, I need to tell you something. (There may not necessarily be a sad emotion here. On the contrary, such a sentence can be pronounced intriguingly, foreshadowing a pleasant surprise.)

Jack, I must tell you something. - Jack, I have to tell you something. (A person is obliged to tell something for moral reasons.)

Jack, I don’t want to tell you that, but I have to. “Jack, I hate to say this, but I have to.” (Here we mean that the person is forced to say. For example, he is the boss, and his position forces him to do so.)

You can also give an example when have to is often used to describe an action that needs to be supported more for social reasons than out of vital necessity.

I must go to doctor tomorrow. - I have to go to the doctor tomorrow. (This refers to the consideration of ensuring life and health. If I do not go to the doctor tomorrow, I will die or get sick.)

I have to go to the doctor tomorrow. – I need to go to the doctor tomorrow. (Here we are considering the case when you need to go to the doctor tomorrow in order to adhere to the planned schedule. That is, you can go in a week, but such actions will let the doctor down, since he has allocated time for an appointment for tomorrow.)

Along with the modal verb have to, the grammar uses the form have got to. There is no significant difference between them. However, if the first form is used formally and colloquial speech, then the second one is more colloquial. Some philologists and linguists who thoroughly study the English language say that have got is used to describe one-time circumstances, but have to is used when talking about permanent responsibilities.

I don’t have to write it every day, but tomorrow I have got to write it. – I don’t have to write this every day, but tomorrow I will be obliged to write it.

By the way, you should immediately note the grammatical difference between these forms. In questions and negatives with the have to construction, an auxiliary verb is additionally used, but with the have got to form it is not needed.

Have you got to read it? – Do you need to read this?

I haven't got to clean. – I shouldn’t/need/necessarily clean this.

Do you have to make it? – Do you need to make this?

I don't have to clean it. – I don’t have to/need/necessarily clean this.

In colloquial speech, the form have got to is contracted into I've gotta do, and sometimes the verb have is even omitted, and people can say I gotta do. In general, the modal verb have to and the form have got to are used to express forced action, necessity and certainty. Of course, you can use shortened forms in conversation, but they are not yet applicable in formal documents.

In order to exist in this world, we have to do things every day that duty dictates, that we are obliged to do, whether we want it or not. Modal have to in English is used precisely to denote this kind of obligation. In other words, if the speaker implies that he must do something not of his own free will, but because such are the circumstances or a sense of duty requires it, have to is used.

Have got to VS have to

Have to has another option, have got to. It is not to be confused with the function verb, which means "to have".

Unlike have to, which indicates a repeated action, have got to is used when the speaker means something specific.

For example:

• I have to write these letters whatever happens - I must write these letters, no matter what happens.
  • I have got to write to him, don’t you understand it? - I have to write to him. Do not you understand?
• I have to visit her every day, as my mom said - I have to visit her every day, as my mother said.
  • I have got to go to her place, will you go with me? - I have to visit her, will you come with me?

In all cases, the action performed by the speaker is dictated by a sense of duty, and not by internal motives.

In practice, in colloquial speech the option have to is more often used to denote both a repeated and a specific single action.

Modal verb have to as a replacement for must and needn’t

In some cases, have to and have got to replace must, although they are not its direct equivalents. So, if must cannot be used grammatically, have to is used. This rule is valid for expressing should in the past and future tense, as well as in negative expressions. For example:

• I must help him - I must help him.
• I had to help him - I had to help him.
• I will have to help him - I will have to help him.
• I don’t have to help him - I shouldn’t have helped him.

Please note that in the negative sentence the form mustn’t was not used because it is translated not “must not”, but “impossible”. For comparison:

• You mustn’t go there, it’s too dangerous for a kid - You can’t go there, it’s very dangerous for a child.
• You don’t have to go there, it’s not your work to pick berries – You don’t have to go there, picking berries is not your task.

In the case of needn’t, some confusion arises when translating into Russian. This verb also means “not necessary,” but its original meaning is much softer. So, when needn’t slips into speech, it means that there is no need to do something, that it is not necessary. When translated into Russian, phrases with needn’t and don’t have to will sound almost the same. In order to make an adequate translation into English, pay attention to the following. what meaning was put into the phrase in the original language. In other words, look into the context and make a contextual translation.

Grammatical features of the modal verb have to

The uniqueness of have to is that, firstly, it is followed by the particle to, although any textbook on English grammar will write that after modals the so-called bare infinitive is used, that is, the infinitive without the particle to. Compare:

• I can do it, but you have to help us while he must check everything. “I can do it, but you have to help us, and he has to check everything.”

This sentence contains three model verbs at once, but only have to has an infinitive particle after it.

The next feature of the verb is that, unlike most, it requires the use of an auxiliary verb of the appropriate tense. For example:

• I don’t have to tell you about it, it is against the rules of the game, you know - I shouldn’t tell you this, it’s against the rules of the game, and you know it.
• Do you have to stay here all the time? Why don’t you come and walk a bit? - Do you have to be here all the time? Why don't you go out and walk a little?
• He is so rich that he doesn't have to earn money working hard and he doesn't know what it means to make the ends meet - He is so rich that he doesn't need to earn money by hard work and he doesn't know what it means to make ends meet with ends.

Pretend verb

Have to can be a real challenge for people starting to learn a language. It's all about the coincidence of the form have to with its analogues in the Present and Past Perfect. But this is difficult only at first glance. Let's look at this in a little more detail.

The main reason for the confusion is in the verb have. It can be both semantic and auxiliary. So when the same verb appears in a modal function, people get confused. In order to determine the function of the verb in each specific case, you will first need a thorough knowledge of grammar. So the difference between modal, auxiliary and functional will be obvious. For example:

• I have a lot to tell you, let’s sit and talk. “I have a lot to tell you, let’s sit down and talk.”
• I have to tell you a lot. Let's sit and talk. - I have a lot to tell you. Let's sit down and talk.
• I have told you a lot. Let's discuss it. - I told you a lot. Let's discuss this.

Each sentence contains the verb have. In the first, it is a simple functional verb “to have”. IN in this case it means that the speaker has certain information. After have there is a noun and an article immediately follows. This is the main clue. Functional verbs are always followed by a noun or pronoun.

In the second case, after have there is a particle to, and then another verb tell. The conjunction verb+verb indicates that in this case have to carries a semantic connotation of modality and is translated “should.”

Finally, in the third sentence, after have comes the third form of the verb to tell - told. This is a hint that we have before us - have as an auxiliary verb for the Present Perfect tense.

Thus, despite the fact that the verb to have occurs in the most different options, it is not difficult to determine its function in each specific case. The main thing is to know the basic rules for connecting words in a sentence. English is an analytical language, so word order is fixed. This makes it easier for all language learners.

Consider the modal verb have to / have got to in English, its usage and tense forms with examples and translation.

Modal verb Have to and its meaning

People who are not native speakers have a difficult situation with this branch of grammar; in fact, modal verbs sometimes mean the same thing.

For example,

Have to or Must?

Must(should) is based on personal requests, and the modal verb have to(obliged) due to circumstances from outside and represents the lack of an alternative when asked. Let's look at an example:

🔊 You must go on a budget. - You must go to the budget.
(your family, in principle, will be able to afford your paid education, but they would like to protect themselves from such expenses, you should have a choice)

🔊 You have to go on a budget. - You must go to the budget.
(you have no choice, your family won't be able to pay your education, so you have to (obliged) to try)

Important Features Have to

Important! Distinctive features modal verbs have to And have got to are: the self-sufficiency of these verbs (they can express the category of person and number) and, unlike other modal English verbs, a particle is used before the main verb after them to.

To have and have to should not be confused

Verb to have is translated “to have / own”, and the modal verb have to- “obliged / must”. Below are examples of sentences.

🔊 I have a phone. - I have a phone.

🔊 I have to go.- I have to go.

Absolutely different meanings, is not it?

Have to forms

Comment! Interrogative and negative forms of the modal verb have to formed together with an auxiliary verb to do(See example sentences below the summary table).

Present Simple:
a) Statement
🔊 She has to come to the office at the right time. - She must come to the office at the right time.
b) Denial
🔊 I graduated from school and I don't have to do my homework anymore. - I graduated from school and I'm more is not obliged to to do homework.
c) Question
🔊 Does she have to do this project? — Should will she do this project?

Past Simple:
a) Statement
🔊 I had to write to him. - I should have write him.
b) Denial
🔊 I didn't have to ask her about her age. - I shouldn't have ask her about her age.
c) Question
🔊 Did I have to help you? - I should have can I help you?

Future Simple:
a) Statement
🔊 Jane will have to go at 7 PM. — Jane have to go at 7 pm.
b) Denial
🔊 Isabella won't have to write this work. — Isabella you won't have to write this work.
c) Question
🔊 Will I have to do this exercise? - To me have to do this exercise?

What is the difference between Have got to and Have to?

In addition to tense forms, the modal verb have to there is a form have got to(she met above). The difference between these forms is practically not noticeable. So, have got to used in British English mainly only in the present tense and indicates a specific, non-repeating action.

The modal verb Have to is used:

• when we are forced (not obliged) to do something due to external circumstances (not of our own free will);

Modal verb have to (sometimes called a modal construction) is used to express an obligation or necessity (in the affirmative or interrogative form) or lack of obligation and necessity (in the negative form). Also verb have to can express confidence, certainty, probability.

Have to is a synonym for modal verb must , and has a connotation of being forced due to some circumstances.

For example:
This answer has to be correct.
This answer there must be, correct. ( Expresses confidence and certainty.)

They had to leave early.
Them had to leave early. ( Expresses obligation, compulsion due to circumstances.)

The soup has to be stirred continuously to prevent burning.
Occasionally soup need to stir so that it does not burn. ( Expresses necessity.)

Using the modal verb have to in the present, past and future tenses

In most cases, the use of modal verbs in the past and future tenses is different from other verbs. The table below shows use of a modal verb have to in different situations.

Remember:
Design don't have to means no need, but not prohibition, while the design must not means a categorical prohibition.