have and has are inflections of the verb I'mhave in the affirmative form of the simple Present
Has is used with the 3rd person singular (hey, she andit) and have with the other people (I, you, we and they).
The verb I have can be used as main verb or how auxiliary verb.
As an auxiliary, it is used in the following tenses:
- Present Perfect
- Present Perfect Continuous
when to use have?
have is used with the pronouns I, you, we and they when we want to express a ownership idea. Like main verb, it means "have".
Examples:
- I have a blue car. (I have a blue car.)
- they have two cars. (They have two cars.)
- I have a great job. (I have a great job.)
- You have a huge house! (You have a huge house!)
- We have a nice English teacher. (We have a nice English teacher.)
- John and Chrissy have two kids. (John and Chrissy have two children.)
Like assistant, have it does not have a specific meaning and its meaning will be defined by the main verb that accompanies it.
Examples:
- We have been to Florida. (We were in Florida.)
- I have been trying to talk to you but you're never home! (I've been trying to talk to you, but you're never home!)
- You have been working too much. (You've been working too hard.)
- They have been living in Miami since 2009. (They have been living in Miami since 2009.)
- I have been to the beach twice this week. (I went to the beach twice this week.)
- You have traveled many times this year. (You have traveled many times this year.)
when to use has?
Has must be used with the 3rd person singular (he/she/it). Like main verb, he indicates possession and is translated as "have".
Examples:
- She has a great job. (She has a great job.)
- He has a huge house! (He has a huge house!)
- Your bike is awesome! It has a very nice design. (His bike is great! It has a really cool design.)
- He has three brothers. (He has three brothers)
- She has nice neighbors. (She has nice neighbors.)
- It has no translation. (Does not have translation.)
When has is used as a verb assistant, its meaning will be indicated by the main verb that accompanies it.
Examples:
- He has been to the USA. (He was in the United States.)
- She has been trying to talk to you but you're never home! (She's been trying to talk to you, but you're never home!)
- It has worked! (It worked!)
- He has been living in Miami since 2009. (He has been living in Miami since 2009.)
- She has been to the beach twice this week. (She went to the beach twice this week.)
- It has happened many times. (It has happened many times.)
Important
Note that the verbal inflection has is only used in sentences affirmatives. To learn how to form sentences with the verb I have in the forms interrogative and negative, read more about the verb to have.
There is a difference between has and have?
The only difference between using has and have consists of the personal pronouns that each of the push-ups follows.
the bending have should be used when the subject of the sentence is I, you, we or they.
Has, in turn, is the inflection used when the subject of the sentence is hey she or it. Note the conjugation of the verb I have in the affirmative form of the Simple Present:
I have
you have
he has
she has
It has
we have
you have
they have
As far as meanings are concerned, there is no difference between the terms.
See also:
- Present Perfect
- Present Perfect Continuous
- Simple Present
- Verbal Tenses in English
- Do and Does
Exercises
Complete the exercises below to put into practice what you have learned about using has and have.
1. (UNIP) Things ___________ a lot since October.
a) are changing
b) changed has
c) have changed
d) has changed
e) change
Correct alternative: c) have changed
2. The kids ___________ tennis classes every morning.
a) having
b) has
key
d) has had
e) have gone
Correct alternative: c) have
3. Jean ___________ the cute dog.
a) have
b) has
c) having
d) has gone
e) have had
Correct alternative: b) has
4. (Mackenzie)
I: Was that the 9 o'clock train?
II: Yes, you ___________ it.
a) have just miss
b) has just missed
c) have just missed
d) had just miss
e) have just missing
Correct alternative: c) have just missed
5. Michael and Adam ___________ two awards this year.
a) have win
b) has won
c) has win
d) having won
e) have won
Correct alternative: e) have won
