Use Of Have to & Had to

Have to & had to

To have + infinitive is used to indicate compulsion that is must do. It expresses obligation in the present, past, and future.

Sub + has to / have to/ had to/ will have to + m.v. + obj.

His brother has to go 25 kilometres away to do a job.	I gotta go.
I have to get early morning every day.	I don’t gotta learn English.
She has to take pulses one time in a meal.	I don’t gotta go there. (Gotta- Informal English)

Note- (It is used in slang by native speakers.) here ‘gotta’ means ‘have to.’  

I had to paint on the tower.

He will have to take non-vegetarian food in Saudi. That’s why he is going to change his plan.

Let’s see the conversation how to use have to & had to:

Rosy: My mother died of cancer.

Do you have to cook food on your own?

Yes, I have to cook food myself. No one is here besides me to cook. 

Don’t you have your sister?

Yes, I have two sisters besides me, but both are very little. Both sisters are studying in primary school.

Did you have to cook food in childhood?

Not at an early age, my father often had to prepare a meal for us. When I grew up, I learnt how to prepare tea, and after a few years, I had to learn how to cook food as well. I started with peeling and chopping vegetables, so thus I helped my father, and then I learnt how to knead the dough and make chapatti. So thus, I also started cooking food.

Does your father not help you with cooking?

He works, and he has to cover a long distance to reach the office. And he comes late from the office. Therefore, I serve the food to my family.

Will you have to marry?

Well, I will have to marry soon. But I have got some plans that I have to/will have to complete them before getting married.

Note: ‘have got to’ used for strong obligation in the present. But we can’t use ‘had got to or will have got to for past and future.

E.g., I have got to get very early in the morning.

 Exercise: (Have to & had to)

Complete the sentences with (Modals)- “has to/ have to & had to or will have to.”

I am really sorry. I couldn’t come to you. Actually I …had… to go somewhere else.

1. They ……… to get early in the morning.
2. I …….. to go to Jaipur yesterday.
3. Her mother won’t be home. He …….. to cook himself tomorrow.
4. They ………. to face the interview next month.
5. I ………. to go to relatives last week.
6. I …….. to tell a lie with my friends last Sunday.

………. You ……… 

1. to complete your given task yesterday?
2. When ………. You ……. to reach there tomorrow?

10. Why don’t you ……. to complete your classwork?

11. I ……… to read a newspaper.

12. My examinations are very close. I ………. to study.

13. Her boss was misbehaving, that’s why She ……….. to leave the job.

14. He couldn’t come yesterday because he ……..to go home soon.

15. My brother is very talented, but he ……. to face ragging in college yesterday.