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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > THERE + DOES
THERE + DOES
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Bruna Dutra
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THERE + DOES
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Hi guys,
I wanted to ask you something. Last week I came across an usage of English probably for the first time, while watching The Big Bang Theory. This was the dialogue:
Sheldon: I �m moving out.
Leonard: Why?
S: There doesn �t have to be a reason.
L: Yeah... there kinda does.
I �ve looked it up on the web, but couldn �t find any grammar on it, and apparently the most used expression is "there doesn �t seem to".
Has anyone ever seen it with a grammar explanation? Funnily enough I had never thought about the negative or interrogative construction of the affirmative "there has to be".
I thank you in advance!
hugs,
Bruna
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13 Jul 2011
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ueslteacher
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Hi Bruna, Would it sound strange if you heard: there must be a reason? It �s just a modal verb "have to". If the positive sentence sounds like this: "There has to be a reason" then the negative should be "There doesn�t have to be a reason"
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13 Jul 2011
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Bruna Dutra
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hi Sophia,
Yes, with the modal verb is easier to explain, but the verb HAVE TO acts as a modal, but it isn �t, am I right? also... SEEM TO isn �t a modal verb, and it can be also used. I was just wondering if anyone had a piece of grammar information on it and could share. I could understand it alright... but I hadn �t thought of it before, or noticed it before.
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13 Jul 2011
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ueslteacher
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Check the examples in this dictionary entry: 1 there is, are, was, were, etc. used to show that something exists or happensThere�s a restaurant around the corner.There are two people waiting outside.Has there been an accident?I don�t want there to be any misunderstanding.There seemed to be no doubt about it.There comes a point where you give up.There remains the problem of finance.Suddenly there was a loud bang.(informal) There�s only four days left.(literary) There once was a poor farmer who had four sons. You can see from the verbs in bold that they are used in the third person singular because they refer to the noun in singular that follows. Sophia |
13 Jul 2011
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teresasimoes
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Hello Bruna, It seems perfectly correct to me: you have the auxiliar verb/expression "have to" in the negative form, plus the main verb "there to be". There functions as the subject , so it comes at the beginning of the sentence/statement. have to is an expression with a similar meaning to the modal verb must, but with the modal you don�t use to after it and with have to, besides using to, you use the auxiliar do for the negative form. I hope it helps! hug, Teresa Sim�es
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13 Jul 2011
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lshorton99
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Hi Bruna
I don �t know if you are still looking for information but I think I see what you mean in this case.
Normally, when we have a subject, you can change it quite easily.
�He doesn �t have to do the homework. �
�She doesn �t have to do the homework. �
�Bob doesn �t have to do the homework. �
With this use of the existential there, we can �t substitute.
�There doesn �t have to be a reason. � can �t be changed to �He doesn �t have to be a reason � because �there � in this case is an anticipatory subject in a present construction (when talking about the existence/occurance of something- the simple sentence would be �There isn �t a reason. � �There � does not have any meaning by itself. �a reason � is the notional subject and �for me/why I �m moving out � is the adverbial, which is this case is ellipted. The verb after existential there is nearly always the verb to be, particularly in this kind of construction.
The rule in this case is as follows.
�There � + BE + notional subject + adverbial.
There + doesn �t have to be + a reason (+ for me moving out/why I �m moving out).
As already mentioned above, both �have to � and �seem to � function as modal verbs - the main verb in this sentence is still the verb to be. Verb patterns remain the same!
I hope this helps! I love the Big Bang Theory by the way!
Lindsey
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13 Jul 2011
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Bruna Dutra
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Hi girls!! thanks so much for your replies.
I just want to clear it out that I understood the usage, I just couldn �t fit it properly in my known grammar contents of English.
I thought it was very odd that I had never seen anything related to this in my grammar books, even advanced ones.
Usually you have explanations over the usage of THERE + BE in all tenses, plus modals, and I remember seeing examples with "there has to" as a comparative of "there must". I just couldn �t find ANYTHING regarding the interrogative and negative use.
Plus... the interrogative form would sound too weird for me (but hey... I �m not a native!).
L: Why?
S: Does there have to be a reason?
Is it possible?
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13 Jul 2011
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ueslteacher
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Sure! It �s absolutely correct and there �s nothing off:) Sophia |
13 Jul 2011
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