Questions tagged [obligation]
The obligation tag has no usage guidance.
19 questions
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What is the difference between “have to”, “must”, and “should”? [duplicate]
Is there any difference between have to”, “must”, and “should”?
If there is some difference between them, when do I have to use (nor not use) each of the constructions below?
have to do something
...
- 109k
3
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3
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What is the difference between "to be" and "must/need/should be"?
Is there a difference in meaning in the following example:
Select the [x] button next to the email address that is to be deleted
Select the [x] button next to the email address that should be deleted
...
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-1
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1
answer
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Checking back instructions and modal verbs
When my Russian students read a task or instruction or when I give instructions to them they often don't understand them immediately and ask questions like
'Should I do this exercise?', or
'Should I ...
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0
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1
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Is "must" more used than "have to" in written language?
I was taught that there is a difference in the kind of obligation one can express through 'must' and 'have to'. If I say
I must do this.
I imply that I feel an inner urge to do this, whereas if I say
...
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Why should I use "ought to"?
Is "ought to" still used in modern English? If yes, in what contexts is it used, and is it used more in formal or informal cases?
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Which is the right one: I have to prepare or I have to be prepared [closed]
Which is the right one and why:
Sample Context: I'm having the exam next week
I have to prepare
Vs.
I have to be prepared
Here, I'm expecting the meaning of these sentences, and in which situation ...
0
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1
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"I had to ..." but "I haven't had to ..."
I've heard a sentence like this:
"I had to go to the doctor" for an obligation in the past.
I would have expected:
"I hadn't to go to the doctor" for the negative form, but I heard:
"I haven't had to ...
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Must (Past Obligation Interrogative) "Must you have eaten all the food?" [closed]
Is the question "Must you have eaten all the food" correct when used in the past obligatory sense?
The best examples I can find are quite ambiguous.
"Must He have been less than perfectly kind to ...
- 109k
0
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1
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Question version of Must have
Read below a sentence
She must have gone.
I know it's a conclusion and it represents a past action, but if I want to convert it into a question, What should I say out of the following? :
(1) Have ...
CommunityBot
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1
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How do we distinguish that "shall" means obligation or future?
English native speakers, I've seen that the use of shall in first person is usually for future. But consider this John Maynard Keynes' example from 1930 which makes some predictions throughout the ...
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What is meant by "Would you be happy to put a no obligation visual together for me?" [closed]
I get reply from one of my client today
Would you be happy to put a no obligation visual together for me?
What does he mean to say? As there is no more lines, we could not get what he meant to say.
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2
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"Should" vs "have to" [duplicate]
Consider:
You should do it.
You have to do it.
Does should show suggestion and have to show compulsion or motivation?
CommunityBot
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1
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Modals of obligation in the past [closed]
Can you say 'You needn't have to go' instead of 'You needn't have gone'?
- 77.8k
2
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1
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How to express the idea that those with power are supposed to lead by example?
I was thinking of "noblesse oblige" (noble blood commands), but that's not quite it. I'm looking for a word or simple phrase that conveys the expectation that those with power, i.e. leaders, are ...
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Does 'should' imply an unquestionable command?
My question is prompted by a question on the programmers.stackexchange:
This may be a duplicate of another question here on english.stackechange, but the answers given to that question did not ...
CommunityBot
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1
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Does "ought to" imply irrelevance?
Does the phrase "ought to" express the irrelevance of the person taking the action? For example, if someone says "Governments which are just, ought to ensure food security for their citizens", are ...
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"I have to" vs. "I must"
When would you use the following?
I have to go the market.
I must go to the market.
I need to go to the market.
If I replace 'have' with 'had' would you have any other way to say it? E.g. I had to ...
- 92.9k
1
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1
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"...mustn't have done..": can it mean reproach for a past action or prohibition of a future action?
Can "You mustn't have done that" have a similar meaning to "You shouldn't have done that" / "You were not supposed to do it (but you did)"?
(not logical probability but obligation)
Since we have the ...
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1
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What is the degree of strength of the verbs listed below dealing with rules/advice?
I used to have a list that showed the increasing strength of these words, but I seemed to have lost it.
The words/phrases are: must/mustn't, should/shouldn't, have to/don't have to, can/can't, and ...
- 137k