Some forms of English usage mean different things but are often used interchangeably, others are contentious and baffling to choose from, and still others require social finesse to express properly.
Forum member Pipes sometime ago asked me two interesting questions involving such confusing usage choices.
Question #1: “What is the difference between ‘have to’ and ‘must’? Do they mean the same thing when they refer to obligation? Is it true, as other grammarians say, that we can use them interchangeably?”
My answer: “Have to” and “must” both express a desire or resolve to do something but they mean it in different ways. As such, as a general rule, they shouldn’t be used interchangeably.
Generally, “have to” expresses an impersonal obligation demanded or imposed by another person or entity; the subject of “have to” is obliged to do the action of the verb that follows it, as in “I
have to clock in to work at 8:30 a.m. every day.” “Motorists in Britain
have to drive on the left lane.”
In contrast, “must” expresses a subjective obligation or resolve on the part of the speaker or subject. It’s a modal auxiliary verb for indicating that the action of the verb that follows it is essential or necessary, as in “I
must put an end to this lopsided arrangement.” “She
must quit the job or get fired!”
Question #2: “Is it correct to use the subject pronoun ‘she’ in the ‘if’-clause, as in ‘If I were
she, I would have joined the camping?’”
My answer: In subjunctive sentences like “If I were
her/she, I would have joined the camping,” it remains contentious whether to use the object pronoun “her” or the subject pronoun “she.” For formal writing, it’s advisable to use “she” in such sentences: “If I were
she, I would have joined the camping?” English teachers and hidebound bureaucrats definitely won’t quibble with your choice.
Many people find such sentences stiff and unnatural-sounding, though, so in informal writing or speech, they often use “her” instead: “If I were
her, I would have joined the camping.” Depending on the communication situation, use your best judgment when making the choice.
***
And here’s another interesting grammar question, this time from Forum member English Maiden:
“I’m not quite sure which kind of articles to use in the following sentences:
“‘My mother is (
a/the) perfect mother.’
“‘This is (
a/the) perfect time to go shopping.’
“‘These are (no article/
the) perfect books to read in my free time.’
“‘We need to come up with
(a/the) perfect backup plan.’
“Please explain to me which kind of articles to use and why.”
All of the four “perfect”-using sentences above should use the article “the.” They are socially acceptable idiomatic overstatements that would lose their cogency if the article “a” or no article is used instead. So even if nothing’s perfect and you know in your heart that they aren’t exactly truthful, don’t hesitate to phrase those statements as follows:
“My mother is
the perfect mother.”
“This is
the perfect time to go shopping.”
“These are
the perfect books to read in my free time.”
“We need to come up with
the perfect backup plan.” (2011)
This essay, 768th in the series, first appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the December 23, 2011 issue of The Manila Times
, © 2011 by the Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.
