The verb have is very widely used both independently and in conjunction with other words. In addition, there are many overlapping areas with other similar verbs.
To talk about the need to do something, you can use the verb need to.
- You might need to see a doctor / Maybe you need to see a doctor.
- A number of questions need to be asked.
And in contrast, don’t have, don’t need to, haven’t got to or needn’t is used to express the lack of need to do something.
- Many women don’t have to work / Many women don’t have to work.
- You don’t have to learn any new typing skills. You don’t have to learn any new typing skills.
- You don’t need to buy anything / you don’t have to buy anything.
- I haven’t got to go to work / I don’t have to go to work.
- I can pick John up. You needn’t bother / I can throw John. You don't have to bother yourself.
In order to express permission for someone not to do something, needn’t is used.
- You needn’t say anything if you don’t want to / You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.
- You needn’t stay any longer tonight / You don’t have to stay longer tonight.
To clarify that someone did what wasit is not necessary to do at all, it is used by need not have or needn’t have and past participle. Often, such a construction appeals to cases where, at the time of the act, the performer himself did not suspect that there is no need to do so.
- I needn’t have waited until the game began / I didn’t have to wait until the game began.
- Nell needn’t have worked / Nela didn’t have to work.
- They needn’t have worried about Reagan / They didn’t have to worry about Reagan.
If the performer at the time of the actIf he knew that there was no need for action, then it would be more appropriate to say didn’t need to. Such a clarification is explained by the fact that in the present tense a hypothetical necessity is meant in general, and in the past tense it is meant precisely a specific action that has been accomplished without necessity.
- They didn’t need to talk about it.
- I didn’t need to worry / I didn’t have to worry.
Also, with the difference that when didn’t need tothe speaker is not sure whether the incident actually occurred until he received additional information, for this purpose didn’t and the modal verb have to use. Examples:
- He didn’t have to speak / He didn’t need to speak.
- Bill and I didn’t have to pay / Bill and I didn’t have to pay.
Modal verbs must, have to sometimesinterchangeable. So, the verb have comes to help to must in the past tense, if you need to focus on something that should not have happened in the past. You can replace must with It, it was necessary, It had been important, It had been important, and the like had to, the modal verb in conjunction with them means "it was important / necessary", or "important / necessary make sure".
- It was absolutely necessary that no one was aware that he was being watched.
“You had to make sure that you didn’t spend too much.” You should have made sure that you didn’t spend too much.
- We had to make it out of date / We had to do everything in our power to make sure that it was not out of date.
- It was important not to take the game too seriously. It was important not to take the game too seriously.
Should and ought can be used to say about moderate necessity, that is, the sense of necessity is not as strong as if we were to use must.
Should and ought are very common in conversationalEnglish Should, being a true modal verb, requires the use of the subsequent verb in basic form. And ought requires to-infinitive after itself. Denial with these verbs looks like should not, shouldn’t, ought not, oughtn’t and means that there is a moderate need not to do anything.
There are three cases in which should, ought be placed:
1) When it comes to performing any positive or correct action.
- We should send her a postcard. / We have to send her a postcard.
2) When you want to advise someone to do something or not to do it.
- You should claim your pension 3-4 months before you retire. / You must apply for a pension 3-4 months before you leave.
3) When you express your point of view or ask someone else's opinion. Moreover, in order to begin a sentence, they are often used: I think, I don’t think, or Do you think.
- I think that we should not be paid more. / I think we should pay more.
Try to distinguish cases in which should, ought and the modal verb have to are used. The exercises below contain blanks, fill them in:
- We _______ spend all the money. / We do not have to spend all the money.
- He ______ come more often. / It should come more often.
- You ______ see him again. / You shouldn't see him again.
- You ______ use a detergent. / You should not use detergent.
- You ______ get a new TV. / You need a new TV.
- You ______ marry him. You shouldn't marry him.
- I don’t think we ______ grumble. / I don't think we should complain.
- Do you think he ______ go? / Do you think that he should not go?
- What do you think we do? / What do you think we should do?
To say that in the past existedmoderate need to do something, but the action was not committed, used: should have or ought to have with the past participle. For example, if it is stated that I should have been given him the money yesterday, it is understood that yesterday there was a moderate need to transfer money, but the money was not transferred.
- I should have finished. / I had to finish my drink and go home.
- You should have realized that he was joking. / You should have understood that he was joking.
- We ought to have stayed in tonight. / We were supposed to stay that night.
- They ought to have taken a taxi. / They should have called a taxi.
If you want to say what was important was notdo something in the past, but, nevertheless, it was done, should not have, ought not to have. For example, if it is said: “It should be understood that it was important that someone did not leave the door open, but the door nevertheless remained open.”
- I should not have said that. / I shouldn't have said that.
- You should not have given him the money. / I shouldn't have given him money.
- They ought not to have told him. / They shouldn't have told him.
- She oughtn’t to have sold the ring. / She shouldn't have sold the ring.
To indicate a moderate need to doin a particular situation, had to. The modal verb at the same time loses to and is added better, forming had better, followed by a verb in basic form. Also had better can be used to give advice or to express their views on any issue. Although the negative particle is usually placed immediately after had to, the modal verb is not better separated in this case. The negative form looks like had not.
- I think I had better show it to you now. / I think it's better to show it to you now.
- You’d better go tomorrow. / You better go tomorrow.
Although had better recalls the past tense, it is never used for moderate necessity in the past. Moreover, the correct form is always had better (do not say have better).
- I’d better not look at this. / I'd rather not look at that.
Thus, in the range of values have a lotseparate semantic units, which do not always behave according to a common logic. For example, had to (the modal verb have to in form II) does not always indicate the past tense.
