Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Have to, have got to

403d

Uses

Have (got) to

has similar meanings to must, referring to obligation and

deductions. The most frequent uses are for obligation.

Obligation

Have to

and the less formal have got to are used to refer to obligations which

come from outside of the speaker. Have got to is far more frequent in spoken

language than have to:

[talking about working hours]

I 

have to be in at six every morning.

I’ll be back in a minute. I

’ve just got to make a phone call.

We

’ve got to stay over a Saturday night to get the cheap flight.

Have you got to get up early tomorrow?

Have got to

does not have a non-tensed form and may not be preceded by other

modals or auxiliary verbs. Have to, without got, may be used in a variety of forms:

I may be free. I

’ll have to check my diary.

(I’ll have got to check my diary.)

Do we have to go down to Devon on Tuesday?

(Do we have got to go down to Devon on Tuesday?)

People want to use technology without 

having to be aware of it, which is still a

major problem for the Web experience as a whole. 

(People want to use technology without having got to be aware of it, …)

When future obligations and arrangements are already fixed and agreed, the

present tense of have (got) to is preferred, rather than will have to:

I

’ve got to go to the dentist at half past ten tomorrow.

(an arrangement/obligation already fixed)

I’ve chipped a bit off one of my teeth. I

’ll have to go to the dentist.

(obligation which will be fulfilled in the future; no arrangement is yet made)

Interrogative

The interrogative of have got to is formed by subject-verb inversion:

Have you got to do it all again?

The interrogative of have to is formed most commonly with auxiliary do or, less

commonly, in formal contexts, by subject-verb inversion:

Do I have to pay the deposit immediately?

A: When have you to meet them?

B: Eleven o’clock.