Hi. James from Engvid.

I was just thinking I have to finish reading my book.

Yeah. That's right. I have to finish reading my book.

I'm sure you heard me say I needed to, yes?

Well, today's lesson is on "need to" and "have to."

What's the difference?

Most of the time, if you come to Canada...

Well, no. Sorry. I keep saying Canada! There's a big world out there speaks English, okay?

And that is England, Canada, America, that's the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India.

They don't know it, but they speak English. Okay.

It's an English colony.

Um... bottom line. A lot of times when you taught grammar, you taught the necessities.

You've got must, have to, blah blah blah...

But then when you actually go to these countries, you hear people say "I need to."

Now, this is interesting because I actually had a student come to me one day, and we had like a twenty-minute discussion on "Teacher, you were wrong. Uh, I don't need to say have to."

See? I said "I don't need to say have to"

And we were talking about, and talking about, and tried to explain, and tried to, and finally I was...

Ahhh! You need to stop right now. No, you have to stop.

And he said "Why? What is the difference?"

I went "Need to, a benefit for you. Have to because there's a consequence."

So, let's go to the board.

Alright. We say "have to." Having, I mean obtaining.

When you have something, it belongs to you. Alright?

I have a marker. I have a book.

They belong to me, or they're in my hand.

When you have to. Let's break it down into two parts.

The preposition or the particle "to" means...

oh, let's put it up there

It means either "goal" or "direction."

Okay? So, once you figure out "to" means goal or direction, it leads you to an interesting place.

Have, as we know as "I have a marker." It is in my possession. Alright? Possess.

So, have means "possess," and to means "goal," or "direction."

Why do we say have to?

Well, literally, you have an obligation.

It's in your direction that you must do, or there's going to be a problem for you.

Alright? So, here's a good example.

I have to go to the washroom right now.

If I don't, the consequence is wet pants.

This is not good. I don't want to wet my pants.

So I have to go.

So when people hear you have to do something, they tend to respond with urgency.

You have to pay your taxes now!

There's an urgency. There's an obligation because something will happen to you.

Alright? There's a direction or goal. Something you may want that'll be affected by your actions.

I have to do this. Alright?

I have to go. Why?

My wife is waiting with a shotgun.

If I'm not home by eight, I'm dead. Okay?

So what's the difference with "need to?"

Because often you hear Canadians say that instead of "have to."

Well, sometimes you wanna do things, and there's not the same urgency.

However, it is important to you.

And here's the key.

Ne me ne me

Ne ne ne ne ne me

Okay. You're not a big bird.

Ne and me means me. The benefit is for me.

When I need to do something, I get a benefit from doing this.

I'm thinking more personally of the benefit that I am of the pain that I will suffer, or the problems I will get if I don't do it.

So they're the same side of the coin. You have to do it. You need to do it.

But one, I'm thinking about the benefit to me. The other I'm thinking about the problem that I'll get.

Sliding into it... need to.

I need to go to the washroom.

I'm just thinking about it. See my face?

I need to go. I'm deciding now is a good time.

I have to go. I don't have a choice. Wet pants? Bad!

Need to go? I would feel better if took two minutes in the washroom. Benefit.

Ne-me. See?

And I don't mean "knee me." I mean good for me.

It rhymes, so you'll remember. Okay?

So, I need to go to the washroom. There's a bebefit. I would feel much better.

I would feel much much better, yeah?

Have to go? I'm gonna have problems.

So, simply, when you know... With have to, remember? We both have goals. See to?

It's for goal or direction. There's something I want in both cases.

But in the need to, "ne-me," it's all about me.

What is my benefit from the situation?

And have to? It's all about "I'm gonna have a problem, and I don't want a problem." See?

Devil snake. Good worm. Mr. E. No Mr. E here.

And here's another, well, it's not a mystery. Something I think you have to do. Before I go, I will say this.

Often to students, and this is the good one, so listen carefully, and this is what students might have a problem.

I told him, "You have to do your homework!"

He came back and said "I don't have to do my homework. I need to do my homework."

And I went "I'm your teacher. You have to do this. You are my student. You need to do it for the benefit."

If you understood that statement, you're good!

And if you wanna know, and check, come do the quiz at ...

Whoa, where would you go? Well, there's only one place you have to go to.

If you don't go there, you'll never get the informations you have to, or the consequences you lose out.

That is www.engvid.com.

You need to come soon, 'cause the benefits are all yours. You're the only one missing out.

I'll see you there.