“Have to” is the progressive syllable “Have to” in political thinking.
I’m curious to know whether the usage of “have to” is normal in progressive, particularly in clauses.
- I had to finish this project today because I had to stay up late for a few days after work. I had to finish this project.
- What I hate about travel? I’m 61 and i have to carry things around. Anyhow, I find that annoying.
Is “No” a good word for “someone else”?
Your first example is not incorrect but it would more typically be expressed as
Because I had to finish yesterday, I had to stay late at work.
If me I use progressive forms of “have to”, it is considered wrong. No matter what the verb is, we usually only use this form to indicate a precondition for a further consequence. That forms doesn’t have any meaning given so that I can’t use it in this form, too. Of course I must give this form in this verb, so that we can “save” it for another. To explain why you had to stay late at work? in very formal writing
Your second example isn’t using the present progressive, but the gerund form of had to.
In comments you wrote,
Some sources indicate that we cannot use “have to” in the progressive.
Is it true we wouldn’t normally say something like “I’m having to eat lunch with my mother in law every Tuesday”? Instead of saying “I have to…” can
you just say it and hope…?
