If the verbs in the grammar of any language indicate the fulfillment of the action of the subject, then the function of the modal verbs is to show the speaker's attitude to the action taking place. And it, in turn, will be expressed in various ways.
Everything you need to know about have
The topic of this article is devoted to the had verb, but you cannot start studying the topic without realizing that this verb is just a past form of the have verb. In order to learn about the verb had, you need to have an idea about have. This verb is the most important in English. It is important not only because in a conversation we often talk about our property, but also because it is often found in stable phrases and is never literally translated. Had is one of the have options that has been involved in the formation of some English tenses . The verb have is used in 4 directions.
1. It has its direct meaning, that is, it acts as a semantic verb and is translated to have . For example, to say "I have many friends," the English say I have a lot of friends. That is, literally, this sentence can be translated as "I have many friends."
2. It is found in stable phrases and expressions. Here, this verb already has no translation to have . This is because stable phrases do not have a literal translation. Here are a few expressions that are quite common.
2.1 Statements about eating:
Have a tea - drink tea, not have tea.
2.2 Expressions related to dates and appointments:
Have a date - date, not have a date.
2.3 Statements about appearance:
Have a haircut - get a haircut.
2.4 Communication:
Have a talk - talk, have a conversation.
2.5 Health:
Have a baby - give birth to a baby.
Have a headache - headache.
2.6 Travel:
Have a walk - go for a walk or take a walk.
3. It occurs as a modal verb have to.
4. Expressed as an auxiliary verb in time Present Perfect.
The had option is found in the past Simple, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.
What modal verbs exist in English?
In English, the following verbs are considered modal : can, must, need, shouldd, have to, may, need, dare, might, be to, shall, ought, have got to.
If modal verbs such as have, be, and should be auxiliary, then have, get, need, and be have meaning.
Modal Verb Functions
As you know, modal verbs are intended to indicate the relationship of the narrator to a specific action. So you should consider the functions that modal verbs express during a conversation.
1. Physical ability. For example, Helen is 20 years old. She can be in full employment. - Elena is 20 years old. She can be busy full time. That is, by law, she is allowed, and she has the right to do so.
2. Expresses the inability to perform a specific action. For example, Mike can not swim. “Mike can't (or can't) swim.”
3. Expresses the need (obligation) in action. - We must respect our parents. We must (must) respect our parents.
4. Expresses a lack of need. We do not have to buy products. - That is, we should not buy products. It is not necessary.
5. Expresses a ban on action. Jack must not do it. “Jack shouldn't do that.” That is, he is forbidden to perform a certain action.
6. Expresses confidence in action. He should be glad. “He must be glad.” The speaker is sure of this.
7. Expresses probability. They ought to be in now. - They are probably now inside (the building).
8. Expresses a hypothetical opportunity. The weather can get cold in October. - In October it can get colder. That is, this is theoretically possible.
9. Express a request for permission to perform the action. Can I open the window? - Can I open the window?
10. Expresses a ban or permission. She may not use my laptop. - She can't use my laptop. You may use my phone. “You can use my phone.”
How to use the verb had in English
In fact, the had verb is have in the past tense. As you know, have to is a modal verb, or rather, the equivalent to must. Must, in turn, has a very strong meaning, which indicates the obligation to perform a certain action. Based on the foregoing, it is concluded that have to, being the equivalent of must, is also one of the hard verbs. If during the conversation these verbs are encountered, then this is not a request, but an order!
Here are examples of the use of have to at different times, note the time the verb had was used.
She has to do it. - She is forced to do this (present ).
She had to do it. - She should have done it (past tense).
She will have to do it. - She will have to do it (future tense).
In the second sentence, the modal verb had to was used in the past tense.
The difference between must and have to
The modal verb must is used for personal feelings. Here is an example: I must do it. I have to do it. This example shows that the narrator expresses his feelings about a certain action.
I have to visit my dentist. Here it is shown that the speaker had problems with the teeth health and he should visit his dentist. The fact is shown here, but not any personal emotions and feelings.
But often the line when using these two modal verbs is so thin that people begin to get confused when using them. If such situations arise, it is better to use have to.
It should be remembered that, unlike have to, the modal verb must has no past tense. Thus, the have to equivalent can be used in all forms, including in the past tense. In the past tense, have to turns into a modal verb had to.
I had to visit my girlfriend. At this time, you must not use the verb must. Since it is past, the verb had was used here.
The use of the verb had in negative form
The verb had in negative form turns into have. To understand why had turns into have, just remember the rule of the past tense. The verb had was used in the past tense, which means that when denied, it does not not, which means that had turns into have.
In British English, in interrogative sentences, the verb to have almost always faces the subject, but in American English, the question begins with the word Do. This also applies to the negative form. Here is the simplest example:
Have you two sisters? - here is the British version.
In the US version, this question will begin with Do: Do you have two sisters?
Also, the verb Had can be found in the formation of sentences in the Present Perfect tense. It should be recalled that this time expresses an action that began in the past and lasts or ended at the time of the conversation. As you can see, the past tense is present in this rule, which means that the verb Had has found its time here.
It should be remembered that in using had the tense of the verb should only be past. So it can not be used during a conversation in the present and even more so in the future tense.
What are the uses of the verb had
The fact that the verb had was used in the past tense is already clear, it is worth analyzing the use of had in the formation of two more English tenses.
To create Past Perfect time, you need the following design:
the had verb (past tense) + the verb in the third form, and more simply, the third column of irregular verbs.
To give an example, I had never seen him before - it is clear from here that the verb seen is the third form of the verb see - see.
Past Perfect Continuous is not the most common of all English times. This time can only be found in books. But it is worth studying to understand the whole system of English tenses.
Time is formed using the verb Had been + ing.
For example, We had been feeling well for some time.
That, in fact, is all that relates to the theme of the verb have and its past form had.