Mastering ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’: Usage & Examples

Understanding how to use ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ correctly is crucial for constructing grammatically sound sentences in English. These auxiliary verbs play a vital role in forming perfect tenses and indicating possession. This comprehensive guide will break down the intricacies of their usage, provide numerous examples, and offer practice exercises to solidify your understanding. Whether you’re an ESL learner, a student preparing for exams, or simply someone looking to refine their grammar skills, this article will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to use ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ with accuracy.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Definitions: Has, Have, and Had
  • Has
  • Have
  • Had
• Structural Breakdown
  • Present Perfect Tense
  • Past Perfect Tense
  • Future Perfect Tense
  • Showing Possession
• Types and Categories of Usage
  • As Auxiliary Verbs
  • As Main Verbs (Possession)
• Examples of ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’ in Sentences
  • Present Perfect Tense Examples
  • Past Perfect Tense Examples
  • Future Perfect Tense Examples
  • Possession Examples
• Usage Rules and Guidelines
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Tense Consistency
  • Exceptions and Special Cases
• Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Practice Exercises
  • Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
  • Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
  • Exercise 3: Sentence Construction
• Advanced Topics
  • Subjunctive Mood
  • Perfect Infinitives
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Introduction

The verbs ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are among the most frequently used in the English language. Mastering their correct usage is essential for clear and effective communication. These verbs function as both auxiliary (helping) verbs, forming perfect tenses, and as main verbs, indicating possession or obligation. A solid understanding of their roles will significantly improve your writing and speaking skills, allowing you to express yourself with greater precision and confidence. This guide provides a comprehensive overview, suitable for learners of all levels, from beginners to advanced students.

Definitions: Has, Have, and Had

To begin, let’s define each of these verbs and understand their primary functions within English grammar. Each word serves a distinct purpose, and understanding these differences is the foundation for using them correctly.

Has

‘Has’ is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb ‘have.’ It is used with singular subjects (he, she, it, or a singular noun) to indicate possession, obligation, or as an auxiliary verb to form the present perfect tense. It’s crucial to remember that ‘has’ always requires a singular subject. Incorrect subject-verb agreement is a common error that can easily be avoided with careful attention to the subject.

Have

‘Have’ is the base form of the verb and is used with plural subjects (we, you, they, or a plural noun) and the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’ (both singular and plural). Similar to ‘has,’ it can indicate possession, obligation, or serve as an auxiliary verb in the present perfect tense. The wide usage of ‘have’ makes it essential to understand its nuances and various applications.

Had

‘Had’ is the past tense and past participle form of the verb ‘have.’ It is used with all subjects (singular and plural) to indicate possession or obligation in the past, or as an auxiliary verb to form the past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses. ‘Had’ simplifies subject-verb agreement because it remains consistent regardless of the subject’s number or person, making it easier to use in many contexts.

Structural Breakdown

Understanding the structural roles of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ is key to using them effectively. They primarily function in the formation of perfect tenses and in expressing possession. Let’s examine each of these roles in detail.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is formed using ‘has’ or ‘have’ + past participle of the main verb. It is used to describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past but have relevance to the present. This tense connects the past to the present, providing context and relevance to the current situation.

Structure: Subject + has/have + past participle

Example: She has lived here for five years. (Action started in the past and continues to the present)

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is formed using ‘had’ + past participle of the main verb. It is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. This tense helps establish the sequence of past events, clarifying which action occurred first.

Structure: Subject + had + past participle

Example: He had finished his work before the guests arrived. (Finishing work happened before the arrival of the guests)

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is formed using ‘will have’ + past participle of the main verb. It is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future. This tense allows you to project into the future and specify when an action will be concluded.

Structure: Subject + will have + past participle

Example: By next year, I will have graduated from college. (Graduation will be completed by next year)

Showing Possession

‘Has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ can also function as main verbs to indicate possession. The choice between ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ depends on the subject and the tense. Using these verbs correctly for possession is essential for clear and accurate communication about ownership or attributes.

Structure: Subject + has/have/had + noun (object of possession)

Example: She has a new car. (Present possession)

Example: They have many books. (Present possession)

Example: He had a dog when he was young. (Past possession)

Types and Categories of Usage

The verbs ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ can be categorized based on their function in a sentence. They can act as auxiliary verbs, helping to form tenses, or as main verbs, expressing possession or obligation.

As Auxiliary Verbs

When used as auxiliary verbs, ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ help to form the perfect tenses. Their primary role is to assist the main verb in indicating time and completion of an action. This use is crucial for constructing complex sentences that accurately convey the timing of events.

Examples:

• She has visited Paris. (Present Perfect)
• They have eaten dinner. (Present Perfect)
• He had already left when I arrived. (Past Perfect)

As Main Verbs (Possession)

As main verbs, ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ primarily denote possession or ownership. They indicate that the subject owns or possesses something. This is a fundamental use of these verbs and is essential for describing relationships between people and objects.

Examples:

• He has a bicycle.
• We have a large house.
• She had a beautiful garden.

Examples of ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’ in Sentences

To further illustrate the usage of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had,’ let’s explore various examples categorized by tense and function. These examples will provide a practical understanding of how these verbs are used in different contexts.

Present Perfect Tense Examples

The following table provides examples of ‘has’ and ‘have’ used in the present perfect tense. Notice the subject-verb agreement and the use of the past participle.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	have	I have traveled to many countries.
You	have	You have always been a great friend.
He	has	He has finished his homework.
She	has	She has worked here for ten years.
It	has	It has been a long day.
We	have	We have seen that movie before.
They	have	They have visited the museum.
The dog	has	The dog has eaten its food.
The students	have	The students have completed the assignment.
My mother	has	My mother has cooked dinner.
My parents	have	My parents have planned a vacation.
The company	has	The company has launched a new product.
The employees	have	The employees have received their bonuses.
The weather	has	The weather has been unpredictable lately.
The children	have	The children have gone to bed.
The artist	has	The artist has created a masterpiece.
The musicians	have	The musicians have practiced their instruments.
The chef	has	The chef has prepared a delicious meal.
The guests	have	The guests have arrived at the party.
The team	has	The team has won the championship.
The builders		have	The builders have constructed the new house.
The author	has	The author has written a new book.
The actors	have	The actors have performed the play.
The singer	has	The singer has recorded a new album.
The dancers	have	The dancers have rehearsed for the show.
The teacher	has	The teacher has graded the papers.
The doctors	have	The doctors have treated the patients.
The engineers	have	The engineers have designed the bridge.

Past Perfect Tense Examples

The following table provides examples of ‘had’ used in the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense describes an action completed before another action in the past.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	had	I had finished my work before the meeting started.
You	had	You had already left when I called.
He	had	He had studied hard before the exam.
She	had	She had lived in London before moving to New York.
It	had	It had rained before we arrived.
We	had	We had eaten dinner before going to the movies.
They	had	They had visited the Eiffel Tower before leaving Paris.
The dog	had	The dog had buried the bone before going inside.
The students	had	The students had submitted their assignments before the deadline.
My mother	had	My mother had cooked the meal before we arrived.
My parents	had	My parents had planned the trip before inviting us.
The company	had	The company had launched the product before the competitor did.
The employees	had	The employees had finished the project before the manager arrived.
The weather	had	The weather had cleared up before the picnic started.
The children	had	The children had fallen asleep before the movie ended.
The artist	had	The artist had completed the painting before the exhibition.
The musicians	had	The musicians had rehearsed the song before the concert.
The chef	had	The chef had prepared the dish before the guests arrived.
The guests	had	The guests had eaten all the appetizers before the main course.
The team	had	The team had won the game before the rain started.
The builders	had	The builders had finished the roof before the storm.
The author	had	The author had published the book before the award ceremony.
The actors	had	The actors had practiced the lines before the play.
The singer	had	The singer had released the song before the summer.
The dancers	had	The dancers had performed before the crowd arrived.
The teacher	had	The teacher had marked the homework before the end of term.
The doctors	had	The doctors had operated before the patient woke up.
The engineers	had	The engineers had tested the machine before its official release.

Future Perfect Tense Examples

The following table provides examples of ‘will have’ used in the future perfect tense. The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	will have	I will have finished the book by next week.
You	will have	You will have graduated by the end of the year.
He	will have	He will have saved enough money by then.
She	will have	She will have traveled the world by the time she’s 30.
It	will have	It will have been a year since we moved in.
We	will have	We will have completed the project by Friday.
They	will have	They will have built the house by next summer.
The dog	will have	The dog will have eaten all its food by the time we get back.
The students	will have	The students will have learned all the material by the final exam.
My mother	will have	My mother will have cooked dinner by the time we arrive.
My parents	will have	My parents will have retired by the end of next year.
The company	will have	The company will have launched the new product by the end of the quarter.
The employees	will have	The employees will have finished the training by next month.
The weather	will have	The weather will have changed by tomorrow.
The children	will have	The children will have grown up by the time we realize it.
The artist	will have	The artist will have sold all her paintings by the end of the year.
The musicians	will have	The musicians will have released their new album by next spring.
The chef	will have	The chef will have perfected the new dish by the grand opening.
The guests	will have	The guests will have enjoyed the party by the time it ends.
The team	will have	The team will have won the championship by the season’s end.
The builders	will have	The builders will have completed the house by the end of the year.
The author	will have	The author will have written another book by the end of his career.
The actors	will have	The actors will have performed the play many times by next month.
The singer	will have	The singer will have released a hit song by next year.
The dancers	will have	The dancers will have rehearsed many routines by the show.
The teacher	will have	The teacher will have taught many students by the end of his career.
The doctors	will have	The doctors will have treated many patients by next year.
The engineers	will have	The engineers will have built many bridges by the end of their careers.

Possession Examples

The following table provides examples of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ used to indicate possession.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	have	I have a pen.
You	have	You have a beautiful smile.
He	has	He has a new car.
She	has	She has a lovely garden.
It	has	The company has many employees.
We	have	We have a big house.
They	have	They have a lot of friends.
The dog	has	The dog has a bone.
The students	have	The students have many books.
My mother	has	My mother has a kind heart.
My parents	have	My parents have a strong marriage.
The company	has	The company has a good reputation.
The employees	have	The employees have a lot of experience.
The weather	has	The weather has been strange this year.
The children	have	The children have many toys.
The artist	has	The artist has a unique style.
The musicians	have	The musicians have a great talent.
The chef	has	The chef has a secret recipe.
The guests	have	The guests have a ticket to the concert.
The team	has	The team has a chance to win.
I	had	I had a dream last night.
You	had	You had a cold last week.
He	had	He had a dog when he was a child.
She	had	She had long hair before.
It	had	The company had a successful year.
We	had	We had a good time at the party.
They	had	They had a meeting yesterday.

Usage Rules and Guidelines

Adhering to specific rules is crucial for using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ correctly. These rules primarily involve subject-verb agreement and tense consistency.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is the most important rule to remember. ‘Has’ is used with singular subjects (he, she, it), while ‘have’ is used with plural subjects (we, you, they) and the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’. ‘Had’ is used with all subjects in the past tense.

Examples:

• He has a car. (Correct)
• They have a car. (Correct)
• I have a car. (Correct)
• He have a car. (Incorrect)

Tense Consistency

Ensure tense consistency within your sentences and paragraphs. If you’re writing in the past tense, use ‘had’ to maintain consistency. If you’re writing in the present tense, use ‘has’ or ‘have’ as appropriate.

Examples:

• He had finished his work, and then he went home. (Correct – Past Tense)
• He has finished his work, and then he goes home. (Correct – Present Tense)
• He had finished his work, and then he goes home. (Incorrect – Mixed Tenses)

Exceptions and Special Cases

While the rules are generally straightforward, there are a few exceptions and special cases to consider. For example, in subjunctive mood constructions, ‘have’ is sometimes used regardless of the subject’s number.

Example: It is essential that he have the necessary qualifications. (Subjunctive Mood)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced English speakers sometimes make mistakes with ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had.’ Here are some common errors and how to correct them.

Mistake 1: Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement

• Incorrect: He have a book.
• Correct: He has a book.

Mistake 2: Mixing Tenses

• Incorrect: She has finished her work yesterday.
• Correct: She finished her work yesterday. (Simple Past)
• Correct: She has finished her work. (Present Perfect)

Mistake 3: Using ‘Have’ Instead of ‘Has’ with Singular Subjects

• Incorrect: The dog have a bone.
• Correct: The dog has a bone.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with the following practice exercises. These exercises will help you identify areas where you need more practice and reinforce your knowledge of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had.’

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb ‘have’ (has, have, had).

Question	Answer
1. I ______ a meeting at 3 PM.	have
2. She ______ already eaten lunch.	has
3. They ______ a great time at the party last night.	had
4. He ______ to finish his report by tomorrow.	has
5. We ______ been to Europe several times.	have
6. The company ______ a new CEO.	has
7. The students ______ completed their assignments.	have
8. My mother ______ a beautiful garden.	has
9. My parents ______ planned a vacation.	have
10. The weather ______ been unpredictable lately.	has

Exercise 2: Correct the Errors

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.

Incorrect Sentence	Correct Sentence
1. He have a car.	He has a car.
2. They has finished the project.	They have finished the project.
3. I has been to Japan.	I have been to Japan.
4. She have a dog.	She has a dog.
5. We has a meeting tomorrow.	We have a meeting tomorrow.
6. The cat have eaten its food.	The cat has eaten its food.
7. My brother have a new job.	My brother has a new job.
8. The team has win the game.	The team has won the game.
9. She had went to the shop earlier.	She had gone to the shop earlier.
10. You has been a great help.	You have been a great help.

Exercise 3: Sentence Construction

Create sentences using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ or ‘had’ based on the prompts provided.

Prompt	Example Sentence
1. Use ‘have’ to describe something you own.	I have a laptop.
2. Use ‘has’ to describe something your friend owns.	My friend has a bicycle.
3. Use ‘had’ to describe something you owned in the past.	I had a pet hamster when I was younger.
4. Use ‘have’ in the present perfect tense.	We have visited Italy.
5. Use ‘has’ in the present perfect tense.	She has studied French for five years.
6. Use ‘had’ in the past perfect tense.	They had already eaten when we arrived.
7. Use ‘have’ to express an obligation.	I have to finish my homework.
8. Use ‘has’ to express an obligation.	He has to go to the doctor.
9. Use ‘had’ to express a past obligation.	I had to wake up early yesterday.
10. Use ‘will have’ in the future perfect tense.	I will have finished my degree by next year.

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, let’s delve into more complex aspects of using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had,’ including the subjunctive mood and perfect infinitives.

Subjunctive Mood

In the subjunctive mood, ‘have’ is sometimes used regardless of the subject’s number, particularly in formal or literary
contexts. The subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, suggestions, or hypothetical situations.

Example: It is essential that everyone have access to clean water.

Perfect Infinitives

Perfect infinitives are formed using ‘to have’ + past participle. They are used to indicate that an action was completed before another action or time in the past. This construction is often used to express regret or a missed opportunity.

Example: I would like to have gone to the party, but I was too busy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering the use of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ is fundamental to achieving fluency and accuracy in English. By understanding their roles as auxiliary and main verbs, adhering to subject-verb agreement, and practicing consistently, you can confidently use these verbs in a variety of contexts. This guide has provided a comprehensive overview, examples, and exercises to help you solidify your understanding. Continue practicing, and you’ll find that using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ correctly becomes second nature.