have to solve many problems vs. have many problems to solve

hirashin

Sempai

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8 Apr 2004

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• 8 Jun 2015

• #1

Dear native English speakers,

Would (a) and (b) have the same meaning?

(a) I think that we have to solve many problems now.
(b) I think that we have many problems to solve now.

Thanks in advance.

Hirashin

 

lanthas

　

27 Apr 2014

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• 9 Jun 2015

• #2

I'd say that strictly speaking they are a bit different.
With (a), the focus is on "we have to ... now": there are many problems, and *now* someone or something is pushing/forcing you to solve them (e.g. your boss). The problems themselves may have existed for a while.
With (b), the focus is on "we have ... now": the problems just popped up. However, you're only saying that they are there and need to be solved someday; you're not necessarily going to do it right now.

 

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 9 Jun 2015

• Thread starter
• #3

Thanks for the detailed explanation, lanthas.

 

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Twenty-year veteran

15 Mar 2002

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• 9 Jun 2015

• #4

A) focuses on the action
B) focuses on the volume

 

Majestic

先輩

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12 Oct 2013

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• 9 Jun 2015

• #5

Sounds like one of those exercises where you have to rearrange the jumbled words in an order that makes sense (there was another post like this just recently).
In this case, the above two arrangements are both valid. The function of "have" changes, and that gives slightly more or less weight to the timing or the volume, but in either case the meaning of the two sentences is virtually the same; we've got problems, they need to get fixed.

 

A

avizulis

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9 Jun 2015

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• 9 Jun 2015

• #6

I'm going to assume that you are trying to say the same thing with each of these versions. In each case I would understand you perfectly and the meaning would be the same and both are correct. However, as a native speaker, I would leave out the word "that" in each case , and then version b would be the most natural for me.

 

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 10 Jun 2015

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• #7

Thank you for your help, Mike, Majestic, and avizulis.