Need to, have to, must - modals of necessity

"I need to get some of the... Hi, James from EngVid. I was just thinking how I have to finish

reading my book. Yeah, that's right. I have to finish reading my book. I'm sure you heard

me say, "I need to," yes? Well, today's lesson is on "need to" and "have to." What's the

difference? Most of the times, if you come to Canada... Sorry, I keep saying Canada.

There's a big world out there that speaks English. There's England, Canada, America.

That's the United States. Australia, New Zealand, India. They don't know it, but they speak

English. It's an English colony. Bottom line, a lot of times when you're taught grammar,

you're taught the necessities. You've got "must," "have to," blah, blah, blah. But then

when you actually go to these countries, you hear people say, "I need to." Now, this is

interesting because I actually had a student come to me one day, and we had a 20-minute

discussion on, "Teacher, you are wrong. I don't need to say 'have to.'" See? I said,

"I don't need to say 'have to.'" We were talking about it and talking about it, and I tried

to explain and tried to, and I finally said, "Stop. You need to stop right now. No, you

have to stop." And he said, "Why? What's the difference?" I went, "Need to" is benefit

for you, "have to" because there's a consequence. So let's go to the board.

All right. We say "have to," "having," I mean, "obtaining." When you have something, it belongs

to you, right? I have a marker. I have a book. They belong to me, or they're in my hand.

When you "have to," let's break it down into two parts. The preposition, or the particle

"to," means...oh, let's put it up here. It means either "goal" or "direction." Okay?

So once you figure out "to" means "goal" or "direction," it leads you to an interesting

place. "Have," as we know, is "I have a marker." It is in my possession, right? Possess. So

"have" means "possess," and "to" means "goal" or "direction." Why do we say "have to"? Well,

the...you have an obligation. It's in your direction that you must do, or there's going

to be a problem for you, right? So here's a good example. I have to go to the washroom

right now. If I don't, the consequence is wet pants. This is not good. I don't want

to wet my pants. So I have to go. So when I...people hear "you have to do something,"

they tend to respond with "urgency." You have to pay your taxes now. There's an urgency.

There is an obligation because something will happen to you, right? There's a direction

or a goal, something you may want that will be affected by your actions. I have to do

this, right? I have to go. Why? My wife is waiting with a shotgun. If I'm not home by

8, I'm dead, okay? So what's the difference with "need to"? Because often you hear Canadians

say that instead of "have to." Well, sometimes you want to do things, and there's not the

same urgency. However, it is important to you. And here's the key. "Knee me, knee me,

knee, knee, knee, knee, knee me." Okay. Enough Big Bird. "Knee" and "me" means "me." The

benefit is for me. When I need to do something, I get a benefit from doing this. I'm thinking

more personally of the benefit than I am of the pain that I will suffer or the problems

I will get if I don't do it. So they're the same side of the coin. You have to do it.

You need to do it. But one, I'm thinking about the benefit to me. The other, I'm thinking

about the problem that I will get. Slide and enter in. "Need to." I need to go to the washroom.

I'm just thinking about it. See my face? I need to go. I'm deciding now is a good time.

I have to go. I don't have a choice. "Wet pants." Bad. "Need to go." I would feel better

if I took two minutes in the washroom. Benefit. "Knee me." See? And I don't mean "knee me."

I mean "good for me." It rhymes, so you'll remember. Okay? So I need to go to the washroom.

There's a benefit. I will feel much better. I will feel much, much better. Yeah? "Have

to go." I'm going to have problems. So, simply, when you know, with "have to," remember, we

both have goals. See? "To" is for goal or direction. There's something I want in both

cases. But in the "need to," "knee me," it's all about me. "Wet" is my benefit from the

situation. And "have to," it's all about I'm going to have a problem and I don't want a

problem. See? "Devil's snake." "Good worm." "Mr. E." No Mr. E here. And here's another.

Well, it's not a Mr. E. Something I think you have to do. Oh, and before I go, I will

say this. Often to students, and this is a good one, so listen carefully, and this is

when my student had a problem. I told him, "You have to do your homework." He came back

and said, "I don't have to do my homework. I need to do my homework." And I went, "You

have to do my homework. I need to do my homework." And I went, "I'm your teacher. You have to

do this. You're my student. You need to do it for the benefit." If you understood that

statement, you're good. And if you want to know and check, come do the quiz at, well,

where would you go? Well, there's only one place you have to go to, because if you don't

go there, you'll never get the information. See, "have to" or the consequence is you lose

out. That is www.engvid.com. You need to come soon, because the benefit is all yours, and

you're the only one missing out. I'll see you there.