have to

[Heidi L]

"First let's learn about two important men, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, and what they had to contribute to our topic today."

The above is what a teacher said before a lesson began. I don't understand what "what they had to contribute to our topic today" exactly means. Had to here didn't seem to mean had got to or must, did it?

I wonder if it works to say "let's see what they had contributed to our topic today"?

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Had" is simply the past simple of "have", meaning "own" or "possess".

John: What do you have to contribute to this meeting?
Sarah: I have several ideas and a spreadsheet.

Sarah told John what she had to contribute to the meeting.

 

[jutfrank]

Think of it as a verb structure:

• to have something to contribute (to something)

 

[Raymott]

I find it thoroughly unnatural in the context. What did they have to contribute to the topic?

 

[Heidi L]

I find it thoroughly unnatural in the context. What did they have to contribute to the topic?

The article I was reading is called "Hello", it introduces when the word hello started initiating a telephon conversation. According to history, it was Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb and who encouaged people to use hello when answering the phone. But another famous person, the telephone inventor, Alexander Graham Bell thought that "ahoy" was a better telephone greeting, but that greeting never caught on. So why did "hello" overtake "ahoy" as the phone greeting of choice? Well, that was another story~

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I find it thoroughly unnatural in the context. What did they have to contribute to the topic?

Yup. The phrasing is misleading. Heidi is right to wonder what it means.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . So why did "hello" overtake "ahoy" as the phone greeting of choice? . . .

Um - because we're not all on boats?

 

[Heidi L]

Um - because we're not all on boats?

lol~ I understand your humor, because it was mentioned on that article that "ahoy" is also a nautical greeting - people onboard ships call to each other by saying "ahoy"!

 

[Heidi L]

It was also mentioned on the article that "hello" can be used to express surprise - "Hello! What do you think you're doing!"
It can also call into question someone's common sense, for example, "You're really going to spend $5000 on a purse? Hello!"

Wow, I didn't know that. Is that true? Can someone please give some more examples?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes. The first is more common in British English than American. We don't often use it that way in the US.

The second is a common comtemporary cliche in American English and maybe British, too. It's snarky, as though you're trying to make someone who has become irrational snap out of it: Hello, anyone home? Are you serious? Are you kidding?

 

[jutfrank]

For a time when I was at school, in colloquial BrE, I used to use Hello a lot, in many different ways, including those mentioned above.

It can be a way to signify to someone that somebody else is approaching:

Hello. Look who it is!
Hello, Mr. Dean's coming. Let's go!

And sometimes it's used to indicate that you find someone sexually attractive. Possibly to the person's face:

Well, hello.

But usually unheard by the target of your desire, to a third party:

Susanna Rae? Hello!

Of course, it's very commonly used to ask somebody to identify themselves, on the phone or otherwise:

Hello? Is someone there?


(This thread seems to have sidetracked somewhat!)

 

[Heidi L]

Thanks for providing those additional examples, but frankly speaking, there are several new words for me, it's a fun way to improve my English.