Have and Had | English lesson

General

Introduction

The verbs ‘have’ and ‘had’ are two of the most commonly used verbs in the English language, but they can also be two of the most confusing. Understanding the difference between these present and past tense verbs is essential for effective communication and accurate grammar. In this discussion, we will explore the rules and usage of ‘have’ and ‘had’, including their various forms, tenses, and contexts, to help you master these important verbs and improve your English language skills.”

Here’s a breakdown of the differences between “have” and “had” with examples:

Have
“Have” is a present-tense verb used to describe:

Possession: showing ownership or relationship.
- Example: “I have a car.” (I own a car.)
Actions: describing an action that is happening now.
- Example: “I have a meeting at 2 PM.” (The meeting is scheduled for now.)
Experiences: describing an experience or feeling.
- Example: “I have a headache.” (I’m experiencing a headache now.)
Auxiliary verb: used to form the present perfect tense.
- Example: “I have eaten breakfast.” (I ate breakfast at some point in the past, and it’s relevant now.)

Had
” Had” is a past-tense verb used to describe:

Past possession: showing ownership or relationship in the past.
- Example: “I had a bike when I was a kid.” (I owned a bike in the past.)
Past actions: describing an action that happened in the past.
- Example: “I had a meeting at 2 PM yesterday.” (The meeting happened in the past.)
Past experiences: describing an experience or feeling that happened in the past.
- Example: “I had a cold last week.” (I experienced a cold in the past.)
Auxiliary verb: used to form the past perfect tense.
- Example: “I had eaten breakfast before I went to school.” (I ate breakfast before another action in the past.)

Key differences:

“Have” is used for present-tense situations, while “had” is used for past-tense situations.
“Have” is used to form the present perfect tense, while “had” is used to form the past perfect tense.

I hope this helps clarify the differences between “have” and “had”

Has and Having

Here’s a breakdown of the differences between “has” and “having” with examples:

Has
“Has” is the third person singular present tense of the verb “have”. It is used to describe:

Possession: showing ownership or relationship.
- Example: “She has a beautiful voice.” (She possesses a beautiful voice.)
Actions: describing an action that is happening now.
- Example: “He has a meeting at 2 PM.” (He has a meeting scheduled for now.)
Experiences: describing an experience or feeling.
- Example: “She has a headache.” (She is experiencing a headache now.)
Auxiliary verb: used to form the present perfect tense.
- Example: “He has eaten breakfast.” (He ate breakfast at some point in the past, and it’s relevant now.)

Having
“Having” is the present participle of the verb “have”. It is used to describe:

Actions in progress: describing an action that is happening now.
- Example: “I’m having a great time at the party.” (I’m experiencing a great time now.)
Experiences: describing an experience or feeling.
- Example: “She’s having trouble sleeping.” (She’s experiencing trouble sleeping now.)
Gerund: used as a verb form ending in “-ing” that functions as a noun.
- Example: “Having a good education is important.” (Having a good education is a thing that is important.)
Auxiliary verb: used to form the present perfect continuous tense.
- Example: “I’ve been having trouble with my car.” (I’ve been experiencing trouble with my car over a period of time.)

Key differences:

“Has” is used to describe possession, actions, or experiences in the present tense, while “having” is used to describe actions in progress, experiences, or gerunds.
“Has” is used to form the present perfect tense, while “having” is used to form the present perfect continuous tense.

I hope this helps clarify the differences between “has” and “having”!

Test your knowledge

Here are 10 exam questions to test your understanding of the verbs “have” and “had”:

I __ (have) a big breakfast this morning.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having
By the time I arrived, they __ (have) already eaten dinner.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having
She __ (not/have) a phone when she was a teenager.
A) hasn’t
B) doesn’t
C) didn’t
D) hadn’t
I __ (have) a cold last week, but I’m feeling better now.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having
They __ (have) three children, but now they live alone.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having
__ (you/have) any brothers or sisters?
A) Have
B) Has
C) Had
D) Having
I __ (not/have) enough money to buy that expensive watch.
A) don’t
B) doesn’t
C) didn’t
D) hadn’t
By next year, I __ (have) studied English for five years.
A) will have
B) would have
C) have
D) had
She __ (have) her hair cut yesterday, and now it looks great.
A) has
B) had
C) have
D) having
If I __ (have) more time, I would travel around the world.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having