To have to, have got to

Model

Meaning

Peculiarities

Example

Translation

have to + non-perfect Inf

interrogative and negative (to do)

Do you have to work so hard?

Obligation or necessity

circumstances приходится, вынужден

She is usually short of time so she has to go by air

ей приходится лететь, она вынуждена лететь

replaces must:

a) to express past necessity or obligation

We had to do it again.

b) to express absence of necessity

You don’t have to make another copy of the document

c) to express a future obligation

You’ll have to take a taxi if you mean to catch the train

Have got to

denotes a particular action

Do you have to get up early every morning?

Have you got to get up early tomorrow morning?

Model

Meaning

Peculiarities

Example

Translation

be to + Present / Past

An obligation (arrangement or plan)

present and past indefinite tenses

The ship was to dock on Sunday.

I was to meet Mother at the dentist’s at 11.

strict order or an instruction

He is to return to Liverpool tomorrow

You are to stay here until I return

Strict prohibition

negative form

You are not to do that.

You are not to tell anybody about it.

Something that is destined to happen or is unavoidable

суждено, предстоит

I didn’t know at the time that she was to be my wife

Не was never to see her again

что ей суждено было стать моей женой

ему больше никогда не суждено было ее увидеть

Impossibility

negative sentences

They are not to be trusted. Nothing was to be done under the circumstances

set expressions

What am I to do?

What is to become of me? Where am I to go?

Что мне делать? Как мне быть? Что со мною станется (будет)? Куда же мне деваться?

Model

Meaning

Peculiarities

Example

Translation

need

necessity

negative and interrogative sentences

You needn’t do it now.

Need she come tomorrow?

Сейчас не нужно этого делать.

Ей нужно завтра приходить?

need + perfect infinitive

the action was performed but was not necessary

You needn’t have spent all the money.

We needn’t have waited for her because she never came at all.

Зря ты потратил все деньги, не к чему было тратить

Нечего было ее ждать. Она все равно не пришла.

Didn’t need to do smth

It wasn’t necessary, so probably not done.

regular verb

We didn’t need to say anything at all, which was a great comfort.

She didn’t need to open the drawer because it was already open.

Needn’t have done smth

It was not necessary, but done nonetheless.

defective verb

You needn’t have said anything.

She needn’t have opened the drawer. She found it empty when she did.