Learn English – “Will I have to come there?” vs “Do I have to come there?”

tense

What is the main difference between these two sentences:

(1) Will I have to come there?
(2) Do I have to come there?

Which is most appropriate to use. Is "Will I have to come" grammatically correct or not?

Here is the context: Today I was on call, and I wanted to say that am I required to be there in the meeting? Then I suddenly got confused that which of the above sentences I should use. Can anyone tell me which is more appropriate in this situation?

Best Answer

"Will I have to...?" asks if it will be required in the future at some point - not if you are expected to do it right now.

"Do I have to...?" is more flexible, it asks if it is required now - but can also be used of known requirements to do something in the future.

If unsure, prefer "do I have to".

Separately, "come there" can seem a little awkward. The rules of when it's better to use "come" or "go" are somewhat tricky. Any of "come along" (if you're both going to the meeting in the same direction) "come to you", "come to the meeting", or just "attend" might be better.

Also consider "Would you like me to..." or simply "Should I...?", as "have to" gives a faint impression you'd rather not be at the meeting unless absolutely necessary, whereas you may prefer to convey a willingness to come.

As you put it later "Am I required to be there?" is perfectly fine.

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