Each of us has our own obligations to someone or something, whether it be a law, official duties, or a promise made to another person or to ourselves. One way or another, we always owe something. We have to go to work, pay taxes, do well in school and go to college, take care of ourselves and keep our promises, and so on.
In English, two verbs are used to denote obligation and necessity:
- Must- modal verb. It is used in the meaning of "should", "must".
- Have to is an ordinary verb, which is also used in the sense of "should" and "must"
So what is the difference between these verbs and when to use which one? Let's find out!
MUST
Must used in situations where the obligation is generally accepted, subject to common rules and regulations OR when you yourself believe that you need to do something, you believe in it.
Example:
“We all must observe the federal law and pay taxes” - “We all must observe the federal law and pay taxes
“They must do their best and win tomorrow! We all believe in them!" “They have to do their best and win tomorrow! We all believe in them!”
Must is a modal verb, so it doesn't have a past form! You can only use must for the present and future tenses. For use must V past form we have to resort to the verb had to(verb have to in past tense).
Example:
"We must finish the project this week" - "We must complete the project this week" (present tense).
"We had to finish the project last week" - "We had to complete the project last week" (past tense).
HAVE TO
Unlike must, have to used in situations where circumstances force us to do something. That is, these are obligations based more on facts than on our attitude to the object / person / situation.
Example:
“I have to go home now. My mom doesn't allow me to walk after 9 pm" - "I need to go home now. Mom doesn't let me go out after 9 pm"
“You have to work hard if you want to get a bonus in the end of the month” - “You need to work hard if you want to get a bonus at the end of the month”
Besides, have to usually replaces must, at moments where it is necessary to focus on time (future or past). In such situations, we use will have to for Future tenses and had to for past tenses.
NEGATIVE FORM MUST AND HAVE TO
Here we will find another striking difference between these verbs. Let's start with a simple, with a verb have to. Here everything is as it should be with the negative form - the denial of duty. That is the phrase "you don't have to do it" Means "You don't have to do this". Everything is simple and familiar.
But with must everything is more interesting. In the negative form, this verb becomes ban. For example, the phrase "you mustn't do it" means "you can't do this".
WHAT IS STRONGER - MUST OR HAVE TO?
These verbs are different and there is no single answer to this. However, it can be assumed that the emotionally stronger verb is must, since we really believe that this is necessary, we think so because of our own convictions, and not only because of the circumstances that force us.
This concludes our little English lesson. In conclusion, we want to give you advice, dear friends:
It happens that the difference between have to And must almost imperceptible and it is difficult to determine with certainty which verb to use. In such cases, we recommend have to. Even if you make a mistake, it will be less of a gross mistake than using the verb incorrectly. must.
That's all for today, thank you for your attention, friends! Learn English and enjoy life! Goodbye!
Past |
The present |
Future |
|---|---|---|
| I had to work. I had to work. |
I have to work. I have to work. |
I will have to work. I will need to work. |
| I didn't have to work. I didn't have to work. |
I don't have to work. I don't need to work. |
I won't have to work. I won't need to work. |
| Did you have to work? Did you have to work? |
Do you have to work? You need to work? |
Will you have to work? Will you need to work? |
| I will have to work. I will need to work. |
||
| I won't have to work. I won't need to work. |
||
| Will you have to work? Will you need to work? |
||
Statement
Have to in the present tense it changes depending on the actor (subject) and number, unlike other modal verbs (should, must and others).
Has– used with a third party singular (He, She, It).
- I have to get up at five every Sunday. I have to get up at five in the morning every Sunday.
- Ann has to go to hospital. Ann needs to go to the hospital.
- We have to walk all the way home because we can't catch a taxi. We have to walk home as we can't get a taxi.
In the past time have to takes shape had for all persons, the only and plural.
- Last summer I had to get up at five every Sunday. Last summer I had to get up at five in the morning every Sunday.
- We had to walk all the way home because we couldn't catch a taxi. We had to walk home as we couldn't get a taxi.
- Janice had to visit her dentist last Monday. Janice had to go to her dentist last Monday.
The future tense is formed by the construction will have to for all persons singular and plural. Very rare for the first persons I And We used shall have to.
- Next summer I shall have to get up at five every Sunday. Next summer I will have to get up at five in the morning every Sunday.
- I will be a bit busy tomorrow. I will have to take my dog to the vet.- I'll be a little busy tomorrow. I will have to take my dog to the vet.
- my friends will have to pick me up at 6 p.m. My friends will need to pick me up at 6 pm.
When forming a passive voice (Passive Voice), the construction is also used have to and passive infinitive.
- You did a great job! You have to be promoted to general manager.- You did a great job! You will have to be promoted to general manager.
- This project has to be approved tomorrow morning. This project must be approved tomorrow morning.
- His advice has to be taken into account.“His advice must be heeded.
Negation
Negative offer with have to in the present and past tenses is formed with the help of an auxiliary verb to do in negative form ( do not, does not, did not) or auxiliary verb to be for future tense ( will not). Such sentences will be translated as " not necessary», « no need», « not necessary to do something».
- We do not have to be in a hurry. We still have plenty of time.“We don't need to hurry. We still have plenty of time.
- You don "t have to wear a suit to work but if you like it you can. You don't have to wear a suit at work, but if you like, you can do it.
- She didn't have to tell the whole story. We had already heard it. She didn't have to tell the whole story. We've heard it before.
- You won "t have to pay for that broken vase. You won't have to pay for that broken vase.
To express prohibition or categorical prohibition in the present tense have to is always replaced by must in negative form ( must not).
- You don't have to come here. You don't have to come here.
- You mustn't come here. You are not allowed to come here.
- must not = mustn't
Question
Interrogative sentence with have to formed with an auxiliary verb to do(or will for the future tense) standing in desired form at the beginning of a sentence or after question words ( Who, why, When, Where, how and others).
- You have to go.- You have to go. (Statement)
- Do you have to go?- You have to go?
- Does Michael have to work on Sunday? Does Michael have to work on Sunday?
- When do you have to go there?– When do you need to go there?
- Did he have to call you? Should he have called you?
- Will I have to pay for the broken vase? Will I have to pay for the broken vase?
Features of use
Probability Expression
Design have to also expresses the probability, certainty, confidence in something of the speaker and is translated as " should be», « Maybe", "T full-time". In this case have to used only in the present tense (in the form of a construction have to be or has to be) and can be replaced with must .
- I have to be misunderstood.
- I must be misunderstood.“I must have been misunderstood.
- It has to be really difficult to survive in a desert.
- It must be really difficult to survive in a desert.“It must be really hard to survive in the desert.
- That girl has to be Ann.
- That girl must be Ann. That girl must be Ann.
When forming an assumption in negative form have to is replaced by must in negative form ( must not).
- That guy has to be Paul. That guy must be Paul.
- No, that mustn't be Paul. Paul is tall and besides, he is blond. No, it can't be Paul. The floor is tall, and, besides, blond.
Have to or Have got to
Often, especially in spoken English, instead of have to construction can be found have got to(as the Present Perfect form of the verb to get). The difference between these designs is almost indistinguishable, they freely replace each other.
The difference is that have to may indicate a repetitive action, and have got to- to the concrete, although native speakers themselves rarely distinguish between these constructions. Also have got to used only in the present tense.
- This time we have got to be ready for the battle!“This time we must be ready for battle!”
- Oh dear, I have got to do all this work by myself!“Oh no, I have to do all the work alone!”
- Matt has got to go right now. Matt must leave now.
- She has got to be careful after that awful accident.“She must be careful after that terrible incident.
When forming a question and a negative form, the construction have got to does not need an auxiliary verb to do.
- Have you got to watch your little sister tonight? Do you have to look after your little sister tonight?
- Has someone got to take Harry to school today? Should someone take Harry to school today?
- why have you got to do this today? Why should you do it today?
- Who has got to do all this work? Who should do all this work?
- have not = haven't
- I "m happy I haven't got to go anywhere today. I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere today.
- has not = hasn't
- my mom hasn't got to take Harry to school today. My mother doesn't need to take Harry to school today.
Form Got to
Sometimes have got to can also be simplified to the form got to especially in modern colloquial English. got to used only to express the present tense. In spoken English, the form is also often used gotta(short for got to).
- You can say whatever you want but you still got to work to earn some money for living.“You can say whatever you want, but you still have to work to earn some money for a living.
- I got to help Alice even though I don't have plenty of time for that. I have to help Alice, although I don't have too much time for that.
- I know you want me to stay but, i'm sorry, i really gotta go.“I know you want me to stay, but sorry, I really have to go.
Have to or Must?
In many cases have to can replace the modal verb must , which also indicates the need to do something.
- Oh, it's later than I thought. I must go now.
- Oh, it's later than I thought. I have to go now. Oh, it's later than I thought. I have to go.
- You must have a passport to go abroad.
- You have to have a passport to go abroad. You must have a passport to travel abroad.
However, there are certain differences in the use of the construction have to and verb must.
Design have to has the forms of the present, past ( had to) and future tense ( will have to). The verb must itself is used in only one form and to a greater extent expresses personal decisions, sensations, feelings.
Must - must, must |
Have to - necessary, forced |
|---|---|
| present | present |
| I must work. I have to work. |
I have to work. I am forced to work. |
| Past | Past |
| No | I had to work. I was forced to work. |
| Future | Future |
| No | I will have to work. I will be forced to work. |
I will be forced to work.
- Active Voice
- Peter must leave the city today. Peter must leave town today. (the present)
- Peter had to leave the city the next day. Peter had to leave the city the next day. (past)
- I must read this book now.– I have to read this book now. (the present)
- I will have to read this book next semester. I will have to read this book next semester. (future)
- Passive Voice
- It must be done right now!- This must be done now! (the present)
- It had to be done yesterday.– It should have been done yesterday. (past)
Also design have to carries the connotation of the need to do something because of the prevailing circumstances, and not of one’s own free will, that is, it can be translated as “ account for», « forced», « must".
- I have to stay at home because my mother asked me to. I have to stay at home because my mother asked me to. (Must not voluntarily)
- You have to help your sister because you have promised you would.“You must help your sister because you promised her you would.”
- He can't keep this puppy. He has to give it back to the owner even if he doesn't want to. He can't keep this puppy. He is obliged to return it to the owner, even if he does not want to do this.
Have or Have to
It is necessary to distinguish between expressions have to do / tell / show something And have something to do / tell / show.
- have as a regular verb
- I have something to tell you.“I want to tell you something.
- have to as modaldesign
- I have to tell you something.“I have to tell you something.
In the first example, the verb have used as an ordinary verb expressing the presence of information or an object that the speaker wants to talk about. In the second sentence have to used as a modal construct and conveys a specific need for action.
- I have something to do this weekend. I have something to do this weekend.
- I have to do something this weekend. I have to do something this weekend.
- Jack has something to show to his friend. Jack wants to show something to his friend.
- Jack has to show something to his friend. Jack has to show something to his friend.
Does it exist difference between modal verbs like must and have to? Of course, there is, otherwise such a huge amount of materials on this topic would not be printed. First, these verbs are used differently in negatives and questions. So, must is a completely independent verb that does not need do/does; what can you say about have to. But the latter can be used at all times, unlike must, which has no form at all for past simple.
Difference between must and have to
The meaning of the two modal verbs also indicates that difference between must and have to exists. If we want to emphasize that a person is obliged to do something in our opinion or according to some rules, then we need must. When it becomes necessary to perform an action due to certain circumstances, it is better to use the modal verb have to.
Examples:
You must do your English homework every Monday! You have to do your homework every Monday!
It is getting dark. I have to leave. - It's getting dark. I have to (I have to) go.
As you can see, the main difference between must And have to in that have to expresses a softer obligation. A person simply has to do something for some reason, not because there is a rule or strict direction to follow.
The use of the modal verb must
As noted above, use of the modal verb must only possible in the present. But if it is important to express the obligation in the past, you can use have to For past simple. In other words, this results in:
HAD TO = MUST in the past!
Examples:
He had to get up earlier last week. He had to get up earlier last week.
They had to tidy up all house themselves. They had to clean the whole house themselves.
The question arises: how to understand which modal verb was used in the past tense, if must And have to do they have the same shape? Very simple: pay attention to the context, there will definitely be some explanation.
It is worth noting that must does not always serve to express an obligation or the need to do something according to the rule. Often this modal verb helps to express the speaker's belief or assumption about some action.
Examples:
Where is Mark? – He must be in the garden.
Where is Mark? He must be in the garden.
She must have already finished her report. She must have already finished the report.
If your proposal must serves to express an action that should have happened in the past in your opinion, then you will no longer need had to and as it is called, the perfect infinitive. Remember that the use of a modal verb must is not limited to the expression of obligation.
The use of must and have to. Examples
Let's fix use of must and have to considering the following suggestions.
|
example |
translation |
|
Must the students do all these exercises today? |
Do students have to do all of these tasks today? |
|
I had to do that. There was no choice. |
I had to do it. There was no choice. |
|
Bob has to walk to school, his bicycle is broken. |
Bob will have to walk to school, his bike is broken. |
It is multi-valued. It can be used as an independent semantic verb with the meaning "to have, to possess", as an auxiliary in the composition of complex verb forms and as a modal with a particle to in the sense of obligation / necessity.
Modal verb have to and its meaning
Modal verb have to expresses the meaning of obligation or necessity caused by some external circumstances: “forced, necessary, must due to this or that situation”.
He has to wear a tie at work. - He has to wear a tie to work (dress code obliges).
Children have to go to school. Children need (should) go to school.
You have to be back at 10 o'clock. You need to be back at 10 o'clock.
I have got to go now. - Now I have to go (I have to go now).
He has got to take this book back to the library or he will get a fine. He must return this book to the library, otherwise he will be fined.
Forms of the modal verb have to
Modal verb have to used in the present, past and future tenses. After have to followed by a verb in an indefinite form (simple infinitive).
Modal verb have to in Present Simple
present simple (present simple tense): have to / has to(3 l units)
I have to go. — I have to go. / I don't have to go. - I don't have to go. / Do you have to go? - You have to go?
He has to go. — He needs to go. /He doesn't have to go. - He doesn't have to go. / Does he have to go? Does he have to go?
In Present Simple (present simple tense) modal verb have to still has a shape has to for 3rd person singular ( he, she, it), for all other persons - have to. Negation is formed using an auxiliary verb do/ does(for 3 l units), after which the particle is placed not:
do not have to=don't have to
does not have to=doesn't have to
They don't have to go. She doesn't have t o go.
To form questions do/ does(for 3 l units) is placed at the beginning of the sentence:
Do they have to go? Does she have to go?
Have got to or has got to(for 3rd person singular) is used mainly in the present tense. Interrogative and negative sentences formed with the help have/ has:I have got to go (=I've got to go). — I haven't got to go. — Have you got to go?
He has got to go (=He's got to go). — He hasn't got to go. — Has he got to go?
Modal verb have to in Past Simple
past simple(past simple tense): had to
I had to go. - I had to go.
I didn't have to go. “I didn't have to go.
Did you have to go? - Did you have to go?
In Past Simple (past simple tense) have to has the form had to did:
did not have to = didn't have to
They didn't have to go. Did they have to go?
Modal verb have to in Future Simple
Future Simple (future simple tense): will have to
I will have to go. - I'll have to go.
I won't have to go. “I don't have to go.
Will you have to go? - Do you have to go?
In Future Simple (future simple tense) have to has the form will have to(for all persons). Questions and negatives are formed using an auxiliary verb will:
will not have to = won't have to
They won't have to go. Will they have to go?
Modal verb have to in different tenses. Usage examples
Pay attention to sentences with modal verbs have to V different times:
Jane has to get up early to catch the coach (Present Simple). Jane has to get up early to catch the bus.
It was something she had to agree to (Past Simple). It was what she was forced to agree to.
You've just broken the law and you will have to answer for it (Future Simple). “You just broke the law, and you will have to answer for it.
You don't have to cheer up if you don't want to (Present Simple)! You don't have to have fun if you don't want to.
why did you have to stay at home yesterday (Past Simple)? — Because my parents were not at home and I had to look after my little sister. Why did you have to stay at home yesterday? - Because my parents were not at home, and I had to look after my younger sister.
Will you have to get up early tomorrow (Future Simple)? Will you have to get up early tomorrow?
Have to or must?
Modal verb have to very close in meaning to the modal verb, it is even often called the equivalent must. But there is still a difference in the values: must means a duty/necessity based on the personal opinion of the speaker, and have to- Necessity caused by external circumstances.
Children must wear a uniform at school. - Children should wear uniforms at school (this is mandatory and correct, I think so).
Children have to wear a uniform at school. - Children must (are forced) to wear a uniform at school (this is mandatory, these are the rules).
There are such pairs of modal verbs that allegedly have the same translation into Russian, but different semantic shades, and therefore different cases of use in English. Such pairs of words are often something like "false" equivalents. Today we will continue to deal with such pairs of verbs and consider the following modal verbs:
- must — must
- have to — must
- ought to — must
Modal verb must used to convey the need to perform an action under the influence of certain circumstances, and is also used when expressing advice or an order
It does not have the forms of the past and future tenses, therefore, if necessary, it is replaced by have to.
- We will have to be at the park by 8 o'clock, if we want to see her. — We have to be in the park by 8 o'clock if we want to see her.
- He had to rewrite his essay. — He had to rewrite his essay
Must used in the following cases:
Characteristics of the modal verb have to
Modal verb have to has the ability to reflect the categories of number and person, which almost all other modal verbs are not capable of
- He has to work 9 hours a day. He has to work 9 hours a day
- They had to prevent us. They should have warned us
The second characteristic is the particle -to, characteristic of only a few modal verbs.
- You have to answer this question. — You must answer this question
To build a negative and interrogative sentence with modal verb have to need an auxiliary word to do
- Do you have to write the essay? — Do you have to write an essay?
- He doesn't have to be here. — He shouldn't be here
Modal verb must used to convey the need to perform an action due to certain circumstances that force
- We have to hold meeting in this room according to timetable. — According to the schedule, we have to hold a meeting in this room.
The modal verb must is used to convey the need to perform an action due to certain circumstances that force Modal verb have to has close meaning have got to. However, the boundaries of their use are clearly separated by the rule:
Have to c is used with actions that are frequently repeated, and have got to with concrete action
- She has to make bed every morning. — She has to make her bed every morning
- She has got to wash the dishes today. — She has to wash the dishes today
About the modal verb ought to
This verb has only one form and, like the previous verb, has a particle -to before the main verb. Modal verb ought to rarely used in interrogative and negative sentences. You can meet him in such sentences only in a formal text:
- We ought not to discuss this problem. — We should not condemn this issue.
- Ought I to read this letter? — Should I read this letter?
Ought to use:
- To indicate a moral duty, obligation, or advice:
- You ought to say only the truth. — You must prepare only the truth
- To express a legitimate assumption:
- They have done such a difficult task and they ought to be all-out. - They completed such a difficult task, they must be exhausted
Right to in colloquial English is used more rarely than the verb related to it in meaning should, which has gained wider usage among English speakers. In the following short video you will learn about the modal verb should.
Video: About modal verbs Must, Have to, Should, Ought to
