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Comprehension Quiz Question 4

bkmiller69

bkmiller69

United States

Which sentence does NOT contain a modal verb? 1. I have three bottles of bleach. 2. He must buy bleach today. 3. We should scrub the shower. 4. They have to clean the bathroom soon.


Englishbaby’s answer is number 1. But isn’t number 4 the answer too?

11:50 PM May 30 2016 |

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Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

Hi bkmiller69,



Good question! 



Like you mentioned, “have” is not a modal verb. It’s just a regular verb, and it shows possession. 



For example: 


I HAVE two sisters.


I HAVE a lot of homework today.


I HAVE a new car.


I HAVE three bottles of bleach.




Then things get tricky. “Have” + “to” is actually a modal verb. “Have to” doesn’t show possession. Instead, it means one must do something.



For example:


I HAVE TO call my two sisters.


I HAVE TO do a lot of homework today.


I HAVE TO wash my new car.


They HAVE TO clean the bathroom soon.




You can also see this pattern:


Have + noun = possession


Have to + verb = obligation, must do something



That’s why number 4 is not a correct answer, since it contains the modal verb “have to”.



I hope this helps!



Best,


Amy

05:39 PM May 31 2016 |