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

Understanding the proper usage of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct and clear sentences in English. These auxiliary verbs, forms of the verb ‘to have,’ play crucial roles in indicating tense, possession, and obligation.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to mastering these essential verbs, offering detailed explanations, numerous examples, practical exercises, and answers to frequently asked questions. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this resource will help you confidently navigate the intricacies of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ in your writing and speaking.

This guide is designed for English language learners of all levels, from beginners seeking foundational knowledge to advanced speakers aiming to refine their grammar skills. It is also beneficial for teachers looking for comprehensive resources to explain these concepts effectively.

By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how to use ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ accurately and appropriately in various contexts.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition of ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’
3. Structural Breakdown
   • Subject-Verb Agreement
   • Tense Agreement
4. Types and Categories of Usage
   • Present Perfect Tense
   • Past Perfect Tense
   • Future Perfect Tense
   • Expressing Possession
   • Expressing Obligation
5. Examples of ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’ in Sentences
   • Present Perfect Tense Examples
   • Past Perfect Tense Examples
   • Future Perfect Tense Examples
   • Expressing Possession Examples
   • Expressing Obligation Examples
6. Usage Rules
   • Affirmative Sentences
   • Negative Sentences
   • Interrogative Sentences
   • Contractions
7. Common Mistakes
8. Practice Exercises
   • Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
   • Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
   • Exercise 3: Sentence Construction
9. Advanced Topics
   • Perfect Continuous Tenses
   • Subjunctive Mood
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Conclusion

Definition of ‘Has,’ ‘Have,’ and ‘Had’

‘Has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are forms of the verb ‘to have,’ which is one of the most versatile verbs in the English language. They primarily function as auxiliary (or helping) verbs to form perfect tenses, but they also act as main verbs to express possession, obligation, or experience.

Understanding their different roles and how they interact with other verbs is crucial for mastering English grammar.

‘Have’ is used with the pronouns I, you, we, and they, as well as with plural nouns. It’s the base form used in the present tense, except when used with third-person singular subjects.

‘Has’ is used with third-person singular pronouns he, she, and it, and with singular nouns. It is also used in the present tense.

‘Had’ is the past tense and past participle form of ‘have.’ It is used with all subjects (singular and plural) to form the past perfect tense and to express possession or obligation in the past.

Structural Breakdown

The correct use of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ depends on subject-verb agreement and tense agreement. These two fundamental principles govern how these verbs are employed in sentences.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement means that the verb form must match the subject in number (singular or plural). This is particularly important in the present tense when using ‘has’ and ‘have.’

• Singular subjects (he, she, it, a cat, the student) take ‘has’. Example: She has a book.
• Plural subjects (I, you, we, they, cats, the students) take ‘have’. Example: They have a car.

Tense Agreement

Tense agreement ensures that the verb tenses in a sentence are consistent and logical. ‘Has’ and ‘have’ are used in the present tense, while ‘had’ is used in the past tense.

• Present Tense: Use ‘has’ or ‘have’ to describe actions or states in the present. Example: I have finished my work. She has started a new job.
• Past Tense: Use ‘had’ to describe actions or states in the past. Example: We had dinner at a fancy restaurant. He had already left when I arrived.

Types and Categories of Usage

‘Has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are used in different tenses and to express various meanings. Understanding these categories is essential for accurate usage.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense connects a past action to the present. It is formed using ‘has’ or ‘have’ + past participle of the main verb.

Example: I have seen that movie. She has traveled to Europe.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense describes an action completed before another action in the past. It is formed using ‘had’ + past participle of the main verb.

Example: He had finished his homework before his friends arrived. They had already eaten when I got there.

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future. It is formed using ‘will have’ + past participle of the main verb.

Example: By next year, I will have graduated from college. She will have finished her book by the end of the month.

Expressing Possession

‘Has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ can also be used as main verbs to indicate ownership or possession.

• Present: I have a car. She has a new phone.
• Past: They had a beautiful house. He had a lot of money.

Expressing Obligation

These verbs can be used with ‘to’ to express obligation or necessity, although ‘have to’ is more common than ‘has to’ or ‘had to.’

• Present: I have to go to work. She has to study for the exam.
• Past: We had to cancel the meeting. They had to pay the fine.

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

The following tables provide numerous examples of how ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are used in different contexts.

Present Perfect Tense Examples

The table below illustrates the use of ‘has’ and ‘have’ in the present perfect tense, showing how actions completed at an unspecified time in the past have relevance to the present moment.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	have	I have visited Paris several times.
You	have	You have always been a great friend.
We	have	We have lived in this city for ten years.
They	have	They have already finished their project.
He	has	He has learned to play the guitar.
She	has	She has written three novels.
It	has	It has rained a lot this week.
The cat	has	The cat has caught a mouse.
The students	have	The students have studied hard for the exam.
My brother	has	My brother has found a new job.
My parents	have	My parents have traveled to many countries.
The company	has	The company has launched a new product.
The team	has	The team has won the championship.
The government	has	The government has implemented new policies.
The school	has	The school has organized several events this year.
The chef	has	The chef has created a new dish.
The artist	has	The artist has sold many paintings.
The author	has	The author has published a new book.
The doctor	has	The doctor has treated many patients.
The engineer	has	The engineer has designed a new bridge.
The scientist	has	The scientist has made a breakthrough discovery.
The musician	has	The musician has released a new album.
The athlete	has	The athlete has broken a new record.
The pilot	has	The pilot has flown many hours.
The librarian	has	The librarian has organized the books.
The programmer	has	The programmer has written a new code.
The dancer	has	The dancer has performed on many stages.
The actor	has	The actor has played many roles.

Past Perfect Tense Examples

The following table illustrates the use of ‘had’ in the past perfect tense, showing how one past action preceded another.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	had	I had finished my work before the meeting started.
You	had	You had already left when I called.
We	had	We had eaten dinner before the movie began.
They	had	They had lived in that house for years before they moved.
He	had	He had studied hard before he took the test.
She	had	She had never seen snow before she visited Canada.
It	had	It had stopped raining by the time we arrived.
The cat	had	The cat had already eaten before I fed it.
The students	had	The students had completed the assignment before the deadline.
My brother	had	My brother had bought a car before he got his license.
My parents	had	My parents had saved enough money before they retired.
The company	had	The company had launched the product before the crisis hit.
The team	had	The team had practiced hard before the competition.
The government	had	The government had announced the new policy before the election.
The school	had	The school had organized the event before the holidays.
The chef	had	The chef had prepared the meal before the guests arrived.
The artist	had	The artist had finished the painting before the exhibition.
The author	had	The author had written the book before it was published.
The doctor	had	The doctor had examined the patient before prescribing medication.
The engineer	had	The engineer had designed the bridge before construction began.
The scientist	had	The scientist had made the discovery before publishing the paper.
The musician	had	The musician had composed the song before recording it.
The athlete	had	The athlete had trained for months before the race.
The pilot	had	The pilot had flown for years before the incident.
The librarian	had	The librarian had cataloged the books before the library opened.
The programmer	had	The programmer had written the code before testing it.
The dancer	had	The dancer had rehearsed for weeks before the performance.
The actor	had	The actor had learned his lines before the show.

Future Perfect Tense Examples

This table provides examples of ‘will have’ used in the future perfect tense, showing actions that will be completed by a specific time in the future.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	will have	I will have finished my degree by next year.
You	will have	You will have completed the project by Friday.
We	will have	We will have lived here for twenty years by 2030.
They	will have	They will have built the new hospital by the end of the year.
He	will have	He will have learned Spanish by the time he moves to Spain.
She	will have	She will have written her book by the summer.
It	will have	It will have been a century since the discovery.
The cat	will have	The cat will have caught many mice by the end of the season.
The students	will have	The students will have taken all their exams by June.
My brother	will have	My brother will have saved enough money to buy a house by then.
My parents	will have	My parents will have retired by the time I graduate.
The company	will have	The company will have launched the new product by next quarter.
The team	will have	The team will have won several games by the end of the season.
The government	will have	The government will have implemented the new policy by the deadline.
The school	will have	The school will have organized many events by the end of the year.
The chef	will have	The chef will have created many new dishes by the festival.
The artist	will have	The artist will have sold many paintings by the exhibition.
The author	will have	The author will have published several books by the end of his career.
The doctor	will have	The doctor will have treated many patients by the end of his career.
The engineer	will have	The engineer will have designed many bridges by the end of his career.
The scientist	will have	The scientist will have made several discoveries by the end of her research.
The musician	will have	The musician will have released many albums by the end of his career.
The athlete	will have	The athlete will have broken many records by the end of her career.
The pilot	will have	The pilot will have flown many miles by the end of his career.
The librarian	will have	The librarian will have cataloged many books by the end of her career.
The programmer	will have	The programmer will have written many programs by the end of his career.
The dancer	will have	The dancer will have performed in many shows by the end of her career.
The actor	will have	The actor will have played many roles by the end of his career.

Expressing Possession Examples

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

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	have	I have a blue car.
You	have	You have a beautiful garden.
We	have	We have a big house.
They	have	They have many friends.
He	has	He has a new job.
She	has	She has a lovely smile.
It	has	The company has a good reputation.
I	had	I had a dog when I was a child.
You	had	You had a lot of potential.
We	had	We had a wonderful time on vacation.
They	had	They had a successful business.
He	had	He had a strong work ethic.
She	had	She had a great opportunity.
It	had	The project had a significant impact.
The cat	has	The cat has a fluffy tail.
The students	have	The students have many books.
My brother	has	My brother has a motorcycle.
My parents	have	My parents have a vacation home.
The company	has	The company has many employees.
The team	has	The team has a strong defense.
The government	has	The government has many responsibilities.
The school	has	The school has many students.
The chef	has	The chef has many recipes.
The artist	has	The artist has many paintings.
The author	has	The author has many books.
The doctor	has	The doctor has many patients.
The engineer	has	The engineer has many projects.
The scientist	has	The scientist has many experiments.

Expressing Obligation Examples

This table shows how ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are used with ‘to’ to express obligation or necessity.

Subject	Verb	Example Sentence
I	have to	I have to go to the store.
You	have to	You have to finish your homework.
We	have to	We have to leave early tomorrow.
They	have to	They have to pay the bills.
He	has to	He has to work late tonight.
She	has to	She has to take care of her children.
It	has to	The machine has to be repaired.
I	had to	I had to cancel my appointment.
You	had to	You had to apologize for your mistake.
We	had to	We had to make a difficult decision.
They	had to	They had to sell their house.
He	had to	He had to quit his job.
She	had to	She had to move to another city.
It	had to	The project had to be postponed.
The cat	has to	The cat has to go to the vet.
The students	have to	The students have to study for the exam.
My brother	has to	My brother has to go to work.
My parents	have to	My parents have to pay taxes.
The company	has to	The company has to increase profits.
The team	has to	The team has to win the game.
The government	has to	The government has to address the issues.
The school	has to	The school has to improve its standards.
The chef	has to	The chef has to cook delicious meals.
The artist	has to	The artist has to create beautiful art.
The author	has to	The author has to write a compelling story.
The doctor	has to	The doctor has to treat the patients.
The engineer	has to	The engineer has to design a safe structure.
The scientist	has to	The scientist has to conduct research.

Usage Rules

Understanding the rules for using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ in different types of sentences is essential for accurate communication.

Affirmative Sentences

Affirmative sentences state a fact or truth. The basic structure is:

Subject + has/have/had + (rest of the sentence)

Examples: She has a dog. They have a car. We had dinner.

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences express the opposite of a statement. They are formed using ‘not’ after ‘has,’ ‘have,’ or ‘had,’ or by using contractions.

Subject + has/have/had + not + (rest of the sentence)

Examples: She has not seen the movie. They have not finished their work. We had not eaten before we left.

Contractions: hasn’t, haven’t, hadn’t

Examples: She hasn’t seen the movie. They haven’t finished their work. We hadn’t eaten before we left.

Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences ask a question. They are formed by inverting the subject and the auxiliary verb.

Has/Have/Had + Subject + (rest of the sentence)?

Examples: Has she seen the movie? Have they finished their work? Had we eaten before we left?

Contractions

Contractions are shortened forms of words, often used in informal speech and writing. Here are some common contractions with ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’:

• I’ve (I have)
• You’ve (You have)
• We’ve (We have)
• They’ve (They have)
• He’s (He has/He is)
• She’s (She has/She is)
• It’s (It has/It is)
• I’d (I had/I would)
• You’d (You had/You would)
• He’d (He had/He would)
• She’d (She had/She would)
• We’d (We had/We would)
• They’d (They had/They would)

Note: ‘He’s,’ ‘She’s,’ and ‘It’s’ can also be contractions for ‘He is,’ ‘She is,’ and ‘It is,’ so context is important.

Common Mistakes

Even advanced learners sometimes make mistakes with ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had.’ Here are some common errors and how to correct them:

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
She have a car.	She has a car.	Use ‘has’ with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it).
I has finished my work.	I have finished my work.	Use ‘have’ with first-person singular subject (I).
They has gone home.	They have gone home.	Use ‘have’ with plural subjects (they).
He have been there before.	He has been there before.	Use ‘has’ with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it).
We has a meeting tomorrow.	We have a meeting tomorrow.	Use ‘have’ with plural subjects (we).
I has to go now.	I have to go now.	Use ‘have’ with first-person singular subject (I).
She had saw the movie.	She had seen the movie.	Use the past participle form of the verb after ‘had.’
They had went to the park.	They had gone to the park.	Use the past participle form of the verb after ‘had.’
He had ate all the food.	He had eaten all the food.	Use the past participle form of the verb after ‘had.’
We had did our homework.	We had done our homework.	Use the past participle form of the verb after ‘had.’

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with these practice exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

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

Question	Answer
1. I ______ finished my homework.	have
2. She ______ a new car.	has
3. They ______ already left when I arrived.	had
4. We ______ to go to the meeting.	have
5. He ______ been to Europe before.	has
6. You ______ a great time at the party.	had
7. It ______ rained a lot this week.	has
8. The cat ______ caught a mouse.	has
9. The students ______ studied hard.	have
10. My brother ______ found a new job.	has

Exercise 2: Correct the Errors

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.

Incorrect Sentence	Corrected Sentence
1. She have a big house.	She has a big house.
2. I has seen that movie.	I have seen that movie.
3. They has finished their work.	They have finished their work.
4. He have to go to the doctor.	He has to go to the doctor.
5. We has been waiting for an hour.	We have been waiting for an hour.
6. You has a beautiful smile.	You have a beautiful smile.
7. It have rained all day.	It has rained all day.
8. The cat have eaten its food.	The cat has eaten its food.
9. The students has finished the test.	The students have finished the test.
10. My brother have a new car.	My brother has a new car.

Exercise 3: Sentence Construction

Construct sentences using ‘has,’ ‘have,’ or ‘had’ based on the given prompts.

1. Prompt: I / finish / my work

   Answer: I have finished my work.

2. Prompt: She / travel / to Italy

   Answer: She has traveled to Italy.

3. Prompt: They / live / here / for five years

   Answer: They have lived here for five years.

4. Prompt: He / buy / a new car / yesterday

   Answer: He had bought a new car yesterday.

5. Prompt: We / see / that movie / before

   Answer: We had seen that movie before.

6. Prompt: You / be / a great friend

   Answer: You have been a great friend.

7. Prompt: It / rain / all day

   Answer: It has rained all day.

8. Prompt: The cat / catch / a bird

   Answer: The cat has caught a bird.

9. Prompt: The students / study / hard

   Answer: The students have studied hard.

10. Prompt: My brother / find / a job

    Answer: My brother has found a job.

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, understanding perfect continuous tenses and the subjunctive mood can further refine your use of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had.’

Perfect Continuous Tenses

Perfect continuous tenses combine the perfect aspect (focus on completion or result) with the continuous aspect (focus on ongoing action). They describe actions that started in the past and continue up to the present (present perfect continuous) or up to another point in the past (past perfect continuous).

• Present Perfect Continuous: ‘has/have been + verb-ing’

  Example: I have been working on this project for three hours.

• Past Perfect Continuous: ‘had been + verb-ing’

  Example: He had been studying for the exam all night.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood expresses wishes, suggestions, or hypothetical situations. While ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ are not directly used in the subjunctive mood, understanding the mood can help you use related constructions correctly.

For example, in conditional sentences:

Example: If I had known, I would have helped. (Expressing a hypothetical past situation)

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering the use of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had’ is essential for clear and accurate communication in English. By understanding the principles of subject-verb agreement, tense agreement, and the various contexts in which these verbs are used, you can confidently construct grammatically correct sentences.

Regular practice and attention to common mistakes will further enhance your proficiency. Use this guide as a reference, and continue to explore and refine your understanding of these fundamental verbs.

With consistent effort, you will master the nuances of ‘has,’ ‘have,’ and ‘had,’ and elevate your English language skills to new heights.