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i have to be vs i had to be

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'I have to be' is used to express a current obligation or necessity, while 'I had to be' is used to talk about a past obligation or necessity. Therefore, the choice between the two depends on whether you are referring to something that is currently required or something that was required in the past.

Last updated: March 27, 2024 • 637 views

i have to be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express a current obligation or necessity.

Use 'I have to be' when you want to convey that there is a current obligation or necessity for you to do something.

Examples:

I have to be at the meeting by 9 a.m.
She has to be more careful when crossing the street.
We have to be quiet during the exam.

Show examples from the web [+]

But i have to be sure Of my prey.
During the day, I have to be a girl.
I have to be with my Nina.
I have to be careful not to overdo it.
Sorry, I have to be in court this morning.
Your time is up. I have to be with the Italian Prime Minister tomorrow.
And I have to be at the DMV today.
I have to be reachable in an emergency.
I have to be rested so I can get yelled at again tomorrow.
And I have to be brave for everybody else.
Emmie, I have to be truthful with you.
But I have to be this guy, Jane.
- I have to be downtown in 15 minutes.
I have to be ruthless with myself.
I have to be ruthless with myself.
I have to be dispassionate and consider what's best for the child.
I have to be so careful with my image.
- I have to be ready in six months.
So I have to be at school in 20 minutes.
I have to be true to myself...

Alternatives:

I need to be
I must be
I am required to be

i had to be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about a past obligation or necessity.

Use 'I had to be' when you want to refer to a past obligation or necessity that was required of you.

Examples:

I had to be at the airport by 6 a.m. yesterday.
She had to be more assertive in the meeting last week.
We had to be quiet during the movie.

Show examples from the web [+]

And so I had to be punished.
I had to be here for the end of the show.
I had to be with people my own age.
I had to be with my family.
But, you know, I had to be straight with him.
I had to be aggressive towards you in order to gain Greg's trust.
She said I had to be ugly.
I had to be tough for my kids.
I'm sorry, guys. I had to be certain.
But I had to be honest with myself.
I just knew that I had to be there.
I had to be certain that you were a decent man.
Before you, I had to be both Hedvig and Elvira.
You said that I had to be protected.
I had to be at work before they left for school.
I had to be careful with something this sensitive.
I had to be in court first thing, so I took a cab.
To pull that off, I had to be absolutely certain my father wouldn't show.
I had to be on the red carpet at 10:00.
Even if it was a lie, I had to be honest with her.

Alternatives:

I needed to be
I was required to be
I had a duty to be

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