To have to, have got to

 

§ 157.As a modal verb to have to differs from the others in that it is not defective. It can have the category of person and number and all tense-aspect forms, as well as verbals. It is followed by a to-infinitive and combines only with the non-perfect form of it.

 

As there is no through train to our town we have to change in Moscow.

We had to look all over town before we found what we wanted.

She won’t have to walk the whole way, will she?

Having to go so soon we were afraid of missing the man.

 

Have to builds up its interrogative and negative forms with the help of the auxiliary verb to do.

 

Do you have to work so hard?

Do you have to leave already?

He doesn’t have to be here before Friday.

You don’t have to do what your sister tells you.

Why does he have to go there?

 

The modal verb to have to expresses:

 

I. Obligation or necessity arising out of circumstances. It is similar in its meaning to must (1). It corresponds to the Russian приходится, вынужден.

 

She is usually short of time so she has to go by air (ей приходится лететь, она вынуждена лететь).

My sister has a lot of friends in different parts of the country, so she has to write lots of letters (ей

приходится...).

 

In the past tense have to indicates a fulfilled obligation.

 

We had to do a lot of things during the week we stayed in the country (were obliged and did it).

They made such a noise that I had to send one of the boys to make inquiries (it was necessary and I did

it).

 

Have to replaces must where must cannot be used: a) to express past necessity or obligation, b) to express absence of necessity (in the sense of needn’t), since must not means prohibition, and c) to express a future obligation, since the future tense of the verb have to makes the obligation more precise.

 

a) We had to do it again.

They had to do what they were told.

 

b) You don’t have to make another copy of the document, Miss Black; this copy will be quite satisfactory.

 

c) You’ll have to take a taxi if you mean to catch the train.

 

Have to as a modal verb can be used together with the modal verb may:

 

We may have to wait long here. - Нам возможно придется долго здесь ждать.

 

Have got to has the same basic meaning as have to. The difference lies in that have to usually denotes a habitual action and have got to denotes a particular action.

Do you have to get up early every morning?

Have you got to get up early tomorrow morning?