Have to / Have got to

Have To



"Have to" is used to express certainty, necessity, and obligation.

Examples:

This answer has to be correct. certainty
The soup has to be stirred continuously to prevent burning. necessity
They have to leave early. obligation


Using "Have to" in Present, Past, and Future

"Have to" behaves quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "have to" behaves in different contexts.

1- Have to: Certainty

Present:
That has to be Jerry. They said he was tall with bright red hair.
Present negative: SHIFT TO "MUST"
That must not be Jerry. They said he has blond hair, not red hair.

Past:
That has to have been the right restaurant. There were no other restaurants on the street.
Past negative: SHIFT TO "MUST"
That must not have been the right restaurant. I guess there was another one around there somewhere.

Future: NONE

You can also use "must" or "have got to".


2- Have to: Necessity

Present:
She has to read four books for this literature class.
She doesn't have to read "Grapes of Wrath." It's optional reading for extra credit.

Past:
She had to finish the first book before the midterm.
She didn't have to write a critique of "The Scarlet Letter." She had to give a presentation to her class.

Future:
She will have to finish the other books before the final exam.
She won't have to take any other literature classes. American Literature 101 is the only required course.

You can also use "must".

REMEMBER: "Do not have to" vs. "Must not"
"Do not have to" suggests that someone is not required to do something. "Must not" suggests that you are prohibited from doing something.

Examples:

You must not eat that. It is forbidden, it is not allowed.
You don't have to eat that. You can if you want to, but it is not necessary.



Have Got To



"Have got to" is used to express necessity and obligation.

Examples:

Drivers have got to get a license to drive a car in the US. necessity
I have got to be at work by 8:30 AM. obligation

Using "Have Got to" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "have got to" behaves in different contexts.

1- Have got to: Necessity

Present:
People have got to be on time if they want to get a seat in the crowded theater.
Present negative: SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
People don't have to be there on time to get a seat.

Past: SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
You had to be on time if you wanted to get a seat in the crowded theater.
You didn't have to be there on time to get a seat.

Future:
You have got to be there on time tonight if you want to get a seat in the crowded theater.
Future negative: SHIFT TO "HAVE TO"
You won't have to be there on time to get a seat.

You can also use "have to" or "must".

2- Haven't got to: Future obligation

Haven't you got to be there by 7:00?
Haven't you got to finish that project today?

"Haven't got to" is primarily used to ask about future obligations. It can be used in statements, but this is less common.

You can also use "don't you have to".