Difference Between Have To and Has To (With Table)

Grammar is of the essence these days. People often misuse words inappropriately after getting manipulated by their minds. Similar is the case with “have to” and “has to” that undergoes misapplication in sentences. People tend to use ‘have to’ instead of ‘has to’ and vice-versa.

Have To vs Has To

The main difference between ‘have to’ and ‘has to’ is that the former is used in the case of plural nouns, whereas ‘has to’ is used with singular substantives. While ‘have to’ is applied with pronouns like I/You/We/They, etc., the latter one is used amidst pronouns like He/She/It, etc.

‘Have to’ is a modal auxiliary verb, generally used in the present tense. Since it is a root verb itself, ‘have to’ is always accepted with plural nouns. Here the term Plural Noun signifies more than one person/animal/thing in general. When it comes to the 1st person or 2nd person, the verb ‘have to’ comes into play.

‘Has to’ is another modal auxiliary verb that is also used in the present tense but differs in numbers. It always acts when singular nouns come into action. Singular noun implies one person/thing/animal. The verb ‘has to’ continually designates with the 3rd person. 

Parameters of comparison

Have To

Has To

Person

‘Have to’ is primarily used with 1st and 2nd person always.

It is used to indicate the 3rd person.

Linguistic Grammatical Number

It comes into action when plural nouns are used.

‘Has to’ is only when a singular noun is used in the sentence.

Pronouns used

Pronouns like You/We/They are used with this verb.

He/She/It is used with the ‘has to’ verb.

Example

She will have to finish those works before the final call.

She has to go to college tomorrow.

Affirmative Sentence

I have to go the bed early.

She has to wake up early tomorrow.

What is Have To?

Talk about plural nouns, ‘have to’ comes into play. For example, My tasks have to be completed by tomorrow. Here ‘have to’ that is used as the subject, is in plural form. One can’t use this verb with singular nouns as subjects. When a person tries to explain certainty/obligation/necessity, ‘have to’ is utilized.

Talking about past and future tense, this verb behaves unevenly. For example, She will have to finish those works before the final call. This sentence states the necessity of the situation. This modal auxiliary verb is used conversely in daily conversations. When expressing any strong obligation or duty, ‘have to’ is employed in the sentence.

Another example is: I have to work now. Here, it explains a duty that should be performed in due course of time. It is also used in framing compulsion sentences. Taking an example, You have to wait for us at the coffee shop. It is visible that the verb ‘have to’ is used in the situation of compulsion. There are many ways to use ‘have to’ and frame sentences in the present tense.

What is Has To?

‘Has to’ is another modal auxiliary verb that is notably different from its former peer. For example, he has to take this exam at any cost. Here, the subject is in the singular form. It is also used to explain compulsion/obligation/necessity in a sentence. The verb ‘has to’ can never be used with plural nouns.

It symbolizes the present tense in a sentence. Generally, it is used with pronouns like He/She/it, etc., in a sentence. This verb always indicates around the 3rd person when a sentence is framed. One can not use it in terms of 1st and 2nd person in a sentence. It is also used in the case of affirmative sentences. For example, she has to wake up in the morning. Here the given sentence is based on an affirmation.

The verb ‘has to’ also explains common obligations. If the obligation is coming from the 3rd person, this modal auxiliary verb is used. For example, Mrs Paul can’t see very well, so she has to wear glasses regularly. It is pretty clear that the verb ‘has to’ chases pronouns like he/she/it concerning the 3rd person and can be surely used in numerous ways in a sentence.

Main Differences Between Have To and Has To

  1. The verb ‘have to’ is used with plural nouns, whereas the auxiliary verb ‘has to’ revolves around a singular noun.
  2. Pronouns like You/We/They indicate the verb ‘have to’ in a verdict. Similarly, pronouns with He/She/It indicate the verb ‘has to’ in a sentence.
  3. The verb ‘have to’ is always used with 1st and 2nd person, whereas the verb ‘has to’ always implies towards the 3rd person in general.
  4. An example of the ‘have to’ verb is, You will have to give this job a kick start. A similar example for the verb ‘has to’ is, she has to go to college tomorrow.
  5. When it comes to affirmative sentences, I have to go to bed early sounds a great example for the verb ‘have to’, whereas She has to wake up early tomorrow defines the use of ‘has to’ properly.

Conclusion

Though both these verbs symbolize the present tense, they still have a wide range of gaps. While ‘have to’ indicates about the 1st and 2nd person, on the other hand ‘has to’ shows the 3rd person form. Different pronouns signify different verbs. For example, You/We/They indicate the essence of the verb ‘have to’ whereas pronouns like He/She/It shows the importance of ‘has to’ in the sentence.

Proper formatting and grammar are very important aspects while framing a sentence. Using modal auxiliary verbs like ‘have to’ and ‘has to’ can sometimes sound challenging and frustrating. Keeping in mind these rules and specifications about these auxiliary verbs, one can easily differentiate between these two small verbs. To makes the grammar look more convincing and aesthetic, the use of verbs like ‘have to’ and ‘has to’ is of utmost importance.

References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NY8oAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=english+grammar+self+study&ots=78KXCPlE–&sig=E0sMYDCg53BxeqDbVu98Q-mmPKk
  2. https://www.learngrammar.net