A1 English Grammar: Learn How to Use 'Have to' for Obligations — A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

A1 English Grammar: Learn How to Use ‘Have to’ for Obligations

Raúl Maguiña

Fundador de Langcom | Examinador de Cambridge y del SIELE

septiembre 23, 2026

A1✏️ Gramática⏱️ 4 minutos de lectura📅 Actualizado en septiembre de 2026
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Utilizamos have to to talk about rules, obligations, or things that are necessary. It means something is required, like a chore, a school rule, or a work task. You cannot choose not to do it. For example, I have to go to school means school is mandatory for you. We use have to for most subjects (I, you, we, they) y has to for third person singular (he, she, it). To make negative sentences, we use don’t have to o doesn’t have to, which means something is not necessary or not an obligation. For questions, we use Do you have to…? o Does he have to…?.

¿Qué significa Have to ¿Qué quieres decir?

In English, we use have to when we talk about things that are necessary or obligatory. It means you must do something because of a rule, a law, or a situation.

Think of it as a responsibility or a task you cannot avoid.

  • It shows an external obligation. Someone or something (like a rule) makes you do it.
  • It is very common for daily routines, chores, and work or school duties.

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How Do We Form Sentences with Have to?

La forma de have to changes a little depending on the subject.

  • Para I, You, We, They, we use have to.
  • Para He, She, It, we use has to.

After have to o has to, we always use the base form of the verb (the infinitive without 'to').

How Do We Make Negative Sentences with Have to?

To say that something is NOT necessary or NOT an obligation, we use don't have to o doesn't have to.

  • Para I, You, We, They, we use don't have to.
  • Para He, She, It, we use doesn't have to.

This means you have a choice; it's not compulsory.

How Do We Ask Questions with Have to?

To ask about obligations, we use Do o Does al principio de la pregunta.

  • Para I, You, We, They, we use Do... have to...?
  • Para He, She, It, we use Does... have to...? (Remember, for he/she/it in questions, we use have to, no has to, because does already shows the third person singular.)
Conjugación de <span data-no-translation>Have to</span> (Present Simple)
Asunto Positivo (+) Negativo (-) Question (?)
I / You / We / They have to + verb don't have to + verb Do ... have to + verb?
He / She / It has to + verb doesn't have to + verb Does ... have to + verb?

Ejemplos

  • I have to wash the dishes every day.
  • My dad has to go to work at 7 o'clock.
  • My friends have to do their homework in the afternoon.
  • You don't have to cook tonight. We can order pizza!
  • She doesn't have to wake up early on Saturdays.
  • Do you have to wear a uniform at school?
  • Does he have to finish the report today?

Práctica

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Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes

Common Mistakes with Have to

Los hispanohablantes a veces cometen estos errores:

  • Uso de must to en lugar de have to: In English, we say I have to go, no I must to go. Remember, have to acts like a regular verb for negatives and questions.
  • Uso de have to para he/she/it: It's common to forget the 's'. Always say He has to, no He have to.
  • Forgetting do/does in questions and negatives: We don't say You not have to o Have you to go? Instead, use You don't have to y Do you have to go?

Preguntas más frecuentes

¿Es have to a modal verb?

Aunque have to expresses obligation like modal verbs (must), it behaves more like a regular verb. It needs do/does for questions and negatives, unlike true modal verbs such as can o should.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre have to y must?

For A1 learners, the main difference is that have to usually shows an external obligation (a rule, a law, someone else's decision). Must often shows a strong personal feeling or an obligation from the speaker. For example, I have to wear a uniform (school rule) vs. I must study for the exam (my strong personal decision).

What is the past tense of have to?

The past tense of have to es had to for all subjects. For example, Yesterday, I had to work late.

Why do we say has to para he/she/it?

Just like with the verb have, we add an '-s' or change the form for the third person singular in the present simple. So, he has se convierte en he has to, following the same grammar rule.

Lecciones relacionadas

Sobre el autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña es el director de la Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizado de preparación para el examen Cambridge English en tu país. Con más de una década de experiencia en la enseñanza de idiomas y la certificación internacional, ha ayudado a miles de estudiantes, profesores e instituciones educativas de 25 países a conseguir las certificaciones de inglés de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL y Michigan.

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