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Have got to and have to

Have got to and have to mean the same. Have got to is more informal. We use have (got) to here to refer to both verbs.

Have got to and have to: forms​

Affirmative form​

Have (got) to comes before the main verb:

  • You have to try these cakes. They are so good.

It is often contracted, especially in speaking.

  • You*’ve got to** press very hard on the doorbell.*

Have (got) to cannot be followed by a modal verb:

  • We*’ve to** take the car to the garage this morning.*
  • Not: We’ve to must take the car to the garage this morning.

Have (got) to is only used alone when the main verb and any complement of the verb is obvious:

  • A: Does he have to do exams this year?
  • B: Yes, he has (got) to.
See also
  • Have

Negative form​

The negative of have to is formed using do not, does not, did not or don’t, doesn’t, didn’t:

  • We don’t have to pay for the food.

The negative of have got to is formed by adding not after have. We don’t use don’t, doesn’t, didn’t:

  • We haven’t got to pay for the food.
  • Not: We don’t have got to pay for the food.
See also
  • Modality: forms
  • Have

Question form​

Do, does, did are used before the subject to form questions with have to:

  • Do we have to take our shoes off?

The subject and have change position to form questions with have got to:

  • Have we got to take our shoes off?
See also
  • Have

Have got to and have to: meaning​

Obligation​

Have (got) to is used to refer to obligations which come from outside the speaker:

  • You*’ve got to** drive more slowly! We’re in a 30-mile-an-hour zone.*
  • I’ve got to pay extra rent now because my friend has left the apartment.

Spoken English:

In speaking, have got to is more common than have to when talking about obligation:

  • A: Let’s clean this kitchen up.
  • B: We*’ve just got** to try to clean it a bit more*.
  • A: Yes, at least once a week, it needs a good clean.

Deductions and conclusions​

Have (got) to can be used to make deductions or draw conclusions. Have (got) to is less common than must in this meaning:

  • You have so much work and you’re not feeling well. This has got to be a tough time for you. (Because you have so much work and are not feeling well, I conclude that your life is hard at the moment.)

  • A: Alan has just left his job in the bank.

  • B: Why? There*’s got to** be a reason*.

  • A: Nobody seems to know why.

  • A: The robbers cut a hole in the ceiling directly above the safe.

  • B: That’s amazing. They*’ve got to** have known where the safe was*.

See also
  • Must

Have got to and have to: tense​

warning

Have got to can only be used in the present. Have to can be used in a variety of forms:

  • I*’ve got to** study for the exam.*
  • Not: I’d got to study for the exam. or I’ll have got to study for the exam.
  • I have to study for the exam.
  • I had to study for the exam.
  • I*’ll*** have to study for the exam.
  • She has to call her parents by ten o’clock.
  • She*’d had to** call her parents by ten o’clock.*
  • She*’ll have** to call her parents by ten o’clock.*

When future obligations and plans are already agreed, the present tense of have (got) to is preferred, rather than will have to:

  • Jane*’s got to be** at the doctor’s by three o’clock.*
  • I have to pick up my daughter at school at four o’clock.