Modal: Have to – Expressing necessity/obligation

The modal phrase “have to” is used to express necessity or obligation imposed by external factors, such as rules, laws, or circumstances. It shows that something is required rather than optional. For example, in “I have to wear a uniform at work,” the uniform is a requirement set by your employer.Unlike “must,” which often reflects internal or personal necessity, “have to” usually indicates an external requirement that you are obliged to follow.

1. Forms and Structure of “Have to”

“Have to” is versatile and used in various forms according to the subject and the tense:

Affirmative: Subject + have/has + to + base verb
Negative: Subject + do/does + not (don’t/doesn’t) + have to + base verb
Interrogative: Do/Does + subject + have to + base verb?

Note that “have to” remains unchanged regardless of the subject. In the past tense, we use “had to,” and in the future, we use “will have to.”

Examples:

🚶 I have to leave early today.
🎮 You have to finish your homework before playing games.
📖 He has to study for his final exams.
📞 She has to call her boss every morning.
🌧️ It has to stop raining for the event to begin.
✈️ We have to catch our flight at 7 AM.
🎶 They have to practice daily to improve.
📚 I have to complete my assignment by tomorrow.
🏆 You have to train hard if you want to win.
🚗 He has to get his car serviced regularly.
💼 She has to attend a meeting at noon.
🍽️ We have to finish dinner before 8 PM.
🛠️ They have to repair the broken window immediately.
🎤 I have to rehearse for the concert tonight.
💡 You have to follow the safety guidelines at work.

2. Using “Have to” for External Obligations

“Have to” is widely used to indicate obligations imposed by external forces. These obligations might come from laws, rules, or societal expectations.

Examples in Daily Life:

👔 I have to wear a uniform at work.
🚦 You have to stop at red lights.
🏫 Students have to attend classes every day.
🛂 Travelers have to show their passports at the border.
📋 Employees have to follow company policies.
🏥 Patients have to schedule appointments in advance.
🚪 Visitors have to sign in at the reception desk.
📞 You have to call customer service for support.
💡 I have to read the instructions before starting the project.
🔒 Everyone has to lock their doors at night.
🧹 We have to keep the office clean.
📝 You have to submit your assignment by the deadline.
🎫 You have to show your ticket to enter the concert.
📚 Library users have to return books on time.
🎓 Graduates have to complete all required courses.

3. Expressing Lack of Obligation: “Don’t Have to”

The negative form, “don’t have to” (or “doesn’t have to” for he, she, it), indicates that there is no requirement or obligation to perform an action; it is optional.

Examples:

🚶 I don’t have to work on weekends.
🎮 You don’t have to play video games if you’re tired.
📖 He doesn’t have to study tonight because he finished his homework.
📞 She doesn’t have to call every day.
🌧️ It doesn’t have to rain for our picnic to be enjoyable.
✈️ We don’t have to leave immediately; our flight is later.
🎶 You don’t have to listen to that song if you dislike it.
📚 They don’t have to read that book; it’s optional.
🏠 I don’t have to clean the house today.
💼 You don’t have to attend the meeting if you’re busy.
🚗 He doesn’t have to drive if someone else can.
🍽️ We don’t have to cook dinner; let’s order takeout.
🎤 I don’t have to practice today because the concert is tomorrow.
🔒 You don’t have to worry about security; it’s already taken care of.
📝 They don’t have to complete the assignment if it’s not mandatory.

4. Interrogative Form of “Have to”

To ask questions about obligations, we use the interrogative form:

Examples:

🚶 Do I have to work on Saturday?
🎮 Do you have to play that game every day?
📖 Does he have to study so late at night?
📞 Does she have to call her boss every morning?
🌧️ Does it have to rain during the picnic?
✈️ Do we have to leave now to catch our flight?
🎶 Do you have to listen to that music all the time?
📚 Do they have to read all these books for the course?
🏠 Does she have to clean the house every day?
💼 Do you have to attend every meeting?
🚗 Does he have to drive to work every morning?
🍽️ Do we have to cook dinner tonight?
🎤 Do I have to rehearse for the concert every day?
🔒 Do they have to lock all the doors before leaving?
📝 Do you have to complete the assignment by tomorrow?

5. Additional Examples in Different Tenses

“Have to” can be used in different tenses to express obligations in the past, present, and future.

A. Past Tense: “Had to”

Structure: Subject + had to + base verb

🚶 I had to leave early yesterday.
🎮 You had to finish your game before dinner.
📖 He had to study hard for the exam.
📞 She had to call her friend last night.
✈️ We had to cancel our trip due to bad weather.
💼 They had to attend an important meeting in the morning.
🍽️ I had to cook dinner for the family.
🎤 He had to rehearse before the performance.
📚 You had to submit the assignment on time.
🚗 She had to drive through heavy traffic.
💡 I had to explain the instructions clearly.
🛠️ They had to repair the broken window immediately.
🏡 We had to move out of the old apartment.
🔒 He had to secure the building before closing.
📝 I had to submit the report by the deadline.

B. Future Tense: “Will Have to”

Structure: Subject + will have to + base verb

🚶 I will have to leave early tomorrow.
🎮 You will have to finish your homework before playing games.
📖 He will have to study for the exam next week.
📞 She will have to call her boss in the morning.
✈️ We will have to catch our flight on time.
💼 They will have to complete the project by next month.
🍽️ I will have to cook dinner for the party.
🎤 He will have to rehearse for the concert.
📚 You will have to submit the assignment by Friday.
🚗 She will have to drive to the meeting tomorrow.
💡 I will have to explain the new policy at the meeting.
🛠️ They will have to fix the broken machine.
🏡 We will have to renovate our house next year.
🔒 He will have to lock up before leaving.
📝 I will have to prepare the report by next week.