obligation not possession

Pos   Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:00 pm GMT
Interesting that not only "have to + V", but also "have+object+to+verb" can express obligation, when it normally expresses possession:

She has a train to catch.

He has a child to feed.
Benjamin   Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:18 pm GMT
Interestingly though, 'he has to feed his child' and 'he has a child to feed' don't have quite the same meaning. The first implies that he must feed his child right now, whilst the second his a more general or habitual statement.