Modals "Need to" & "Had Better"
Modal Verbs can be tricky, so I though I would help you guys understand them. Let’s look at need to and had better today!The other day, I showed you how to use must and have to. Today, I’d like to continue the conversation about models and look at need to and had better.Like must and have to, need to is also used
to talk about what is necessary. The basic difference between need to, and must & have to, is where the necessity comes from. Generally, with must and have to, the necessity comes from someone other than ourselves. However we use need to when we talk about personal requirements. With need to the necessity comes from ourselves. Compare the following examples:
- When you travel abroad, you have to have a passport. The necessity comes from the law
- You must not drink and drive. The necessity comes from the law.
- I need to go on a diet. I’m getting too heavy. The necessity comes from myself.
I like to think that with must and have to the necessity comes from outside me, and with need to, the necessity comes from inside me. You can use has need to when you make the rules or plan for yourself:
- I need to exercise more.
- Jack said he needs to get a new computer.
- We need to leave by 5:00 in order to get to the station on time.
Had better is used when we give someone a warning. Had better means, if you don’t do it, something bad will happen.
- You had better dry your hair before going out. If you don’t you will catch a cold.
- You have had a bad headache for two weeks? You had better see a doctor.
- You had better do all of your homework, otherwise you will not pass the course.
Be careful! Sometimes, people use had better to + verb, as in “you had better to stop smoking,” but using to after you had better is not correct. You can use to after better in a sentence like this: “It is better to visit NYC in the spring,” but you can’t say had better to ~
Modal Verbs can be tricky, so I though I would help you guys understand them. Let’s look at must and have to today.
Point #1
Must shows necessity. We usually use must when someone makes a rule or law that we need to follow. The necessity usually comes from the rule or law or the person/authority who made the rule/law. When you must do something, there is no choice:
- When you travel abroad, you must have a passport. Having a passport is a law
- You must stop at a red light.
- You must speak quietly in the library.
Point #2
Must can also be used when the speaker feels the situation is urgent. In this case the necessity comes from the speaker’s belief that the situation is urgent.
- I must talk to the doctor right now. It is urgent.
- There is an emergency. I must use your phone.
Point #3
The negative form of must is must not. However, the meaning is prohibition (in other words, don’t do that
- You must not smoke here. This means, “Do not smoke here.”
- You must not pass a red light without stopping.
- You must not speak in the library.
Point #4
Have to is like must. Have to shows necessity and we use have to when someone makes a rule or law that we need to follow. The necessity usually comes from the rule or law or the person/authority who made the rule/law.
- When you travel abroad, you have to have a passport.
- You have to stop at a red light.
Point #5
Have to can also be used when the speaker feels the situation is important, but not urgent. In this case the necessity comes from the speaker’s belief that the situation is important.
- I have to call the doctor right now. It is important
- I have to find out what is wrong with my car. I am taking a road trip next week.
Point #6
Have got to is the same as have to, but us usually used in spoken English. The pronunciation is godda. We usually use the contracted form, for example: I’ve godda go (or) He’s godda go, etc. When using I, we often just say, I godda
- I godda talk to the doctor tomorrow (or) I’ve godda talk to the doctor tomorrow.
- When you travel abroad, you godda have a passport.
- You godda stop at a red light.
Point #7
Had to is used to talk about past necessity. There is no past form of must to mean necessity
- When I traveled abroad, I had to have a passport.
- You had to stop at the red light. That’s why the police stopped you.
- I had to talk to the doctor yesterday. It was urgent.
Point #8
In a negative sentence don’t have to is used to talk about what is not necessary.
We do not use don’t must
- When you travel from New York to Miami, you don’t have to bring a passport.
- You don’t have to stop at a green light.
- I don’t have to talk to the doctor now. I am feeling better.
