be having to??
I found a sentence in an English book going like: 'I'm afraid I can't come to ther party, I am having dinner with some important clients''

Here, I learned 'am having' means he has already arranged dinner plans.
Then, can I say 'I am having to have dinner with some important clients.' to emphasize that it was not my choice?

Question

be having to??
I found a sentence in an English book going like: 'I'm afraid I can't come to ther party, I am having dinner with some important clients''

Here, I learned 'am having' means he has already arranged dinner plans. 
Then, can I say 'I am having to have dinner with some important clients.' to emphasize that it was not my choice?

Answer

You can say "I have to have dinner with some clients" or simply state that you "must have dinner with some clients" or that you are "obligated to have dinner."

Hope this helps.

Answer

In this context, "I am having" is simply a way of expressing an intended future action using the present continuous.  Because it's in the future, it means that it has already been arranged.  For example, "I'm seeing my family in June for a wedding" or "I'm bringing my new boyfriend to dinner".  But there is a big difference between "I am having" and "to have to/must".

If it is not your choice, that is when you use "to have to" (See Em Dee's suggestions for sentences).  This is a phrasal verb, and is not used in the present continuous tense.

Answers · 4

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