Have: has, had
The verb have means “to possess,” “to own,” or “to experience.” It is also used as an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses in English. The three main forms are:
- have (base form and plural present)
- has (singular present for he, she, it)
- had (past form and past participle)
Meanings of Have
Have can be used in several ways:
- Possession: Showing ownership or holding something.
- Experience: Describing experiences or states.
- Obligation: In fixed expressions to indicate something must be done (e.g., “have to”).
- Auxiliary verb: Forming perfect tenses (e.g., “have eaten”).
Conjugation Tables
Have is irregular due to its separate past and past participle form had. The present tense uses have or has depending on the subject.
Simple Tenses
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | I have a book. | I do not have a book. | Do I have a book? |
| He / She / It | She has a cat. | She does not have a cat. | Does she have a cat? |
Past Simple
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / He / She / It / We / They | They had a party. | They did not have a party. | Did they have a party? |
Present Perfect (using auxiliary "have/has")
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | I have finished. | I have not finished. | Have I finished? |
| He / She / It | She has gone. | She has not gone. | Has she gone? |
Past Perfect (using auxiliary "had")
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / He / She / It / We / They | We had left early. | We had not left early. | Had we left early? |
They ____ a party last weekend. (they / have)
had
'Had' is the past simple form for all subjects.
Usage Examples
Showing Ownership
- I have two sisters.
- She has a new phone.
- We had a small garden.
Describing Experiences or States
- I have a headache.
- He has a lot of energy.
- They had a great time.
Forming Perfect Tenses
Present perfect:
- I have eaten breakfast.
- She has visited Paris.
- We have seen that movie.
Past perfect:
- They had already left.
- I had finished my homework.
- She had never been to Japan.
Quick Notes
- Use has with singular third-person subjects (he, she, it).
- Use have with I, you, we, they, and all plural subjects.
- The past tense and past participle are both had.
- In negative and question forms, use do/does/did + have (not had).
Now you have a clear overview of have (has, had), from meaning to usage and examples.
What are the past tense and past participle forms of 'have'?
had
Both the past tense and past participle of 'have' are 'had.'
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
