there has to be vs there had to be

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'There has to be' is used to express a current necessity or requirement, while 'there had to be' is used to talk about a necessity or requirement in the past.

Last updated: April 09, 2024 • 318 views

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

"there has to be"

This phrase is used to indicate that something is necessary or required at the present moment. It implies a current state of obligation or inevitability.

Examples:

There has to be a solution to this problem.
There has to be a reason for his absence.
There has to be a way to fix this issue.

Show examples from the web [+]

Which means there has to be a trail.
Tom, there has to be another way to charge him.
But there has to be some kind of understanding between us.
But there has to be some other explanation besides curses and ghosts.
No, there has to be a reason.
So I figure there has to be some kind of mystical cure.
Sully, there has to be another way.
Birkhoff, there has to be something better.
If he died here, there has to be something.
I mean, there has to be an explanation.
Everybody sins, there has to be another connection.
Walter, there has to be a line somewhere.
So there has to be a greenhouse gas element to it.
Thomas, there has to be another way.
No, there has to be some other explanation.
The law says there has to be a hurricane.
Dad, there has to be some other way.
Because there has to be a balance, Clark.
But there has to be some way into his flat.
Okay, I know there has to be another tunnel.

Alternatives:

There must be
There needs to be
There should be
There is likely to be
There is bound to be

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

"there had to be"

This phrase is used to express that something was necessary or required in the past. It indicates a past state of obligation or inevitability.

Examples:

There had to be a reason for his sudden departure.
There had to be some mistake in the calculations.
There had to be a better solution to the problem.

Show examples from the web [+]

Inside the club there had to be truth.
I knew there had to be a deeper connection.
Trisha... the way he attacked that man there had to be something personal.
They all suffered and I knew there had to be another answer.
But there had to be something missing in all that he taught us, or this wouldn't have happened.
Now there had to be something that gave you that extra bit of confidence to pull this one off.
I knew there had to be a reason.
We said there had to be external travel freedom as well.
I knew there had to be an explanation.
I knew there had to be a reason why I liked you so much.
And there had to be a price for Claudia bringing me back, but I won't let Claudia pay with her own life.
But there had to be a catalyst?
Order for whatever was in her intestines to come back up, there had to be a blockage.
And there had to be somebody, an accomplice, who knew their diaries.
Came into the special room where there had to be a hostess, and Sikhovsky was shocked: near Vilevinsky's wife Sikhovskaya sat.
I knew there had to be something else out there.
Okay, well, there had to be someone at the restaurant who didn't get along with him.
As a former preschool teacher and mom of a young daughter, Fitzgerald knew there had to be a better way to teach kids to stay safe.
I knew there had to be some reason you liked her.
Harper said that it was just her imaginary friend, but there had to be someone else in there.

Alternatives:

There must have been
There needed to be
There was likely to be
There was bound to be
There was supposed to be

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there has to be vs there had to be

"there has to be"

"there had to be"

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