The verb have has three forms: has, have and had. The forms has and have are used in the present tense. Had is used in the past tense.
Use have when the subject is a plural noun. Have is also used with the pronouns I, we, they and you.
- They have a nice apartment in the city.
- I have a sister.
- You have a sweet voice.
- We have a car.
Use has when the subject is a singular noun or the third person singular pronoun (e.g. he, she, it).
- My father has a flat in Chennai.
- She has a headache.
- Rohan has a brother and a sister.
- The elephant has a big trunk.
As a primary auxiliary, have and its forms are used to show ideas such as possession, relationships, physical sensations etc.
- I have a headache. (physical feeling)
- She has a diamond necklace. (possession)
- He has two brothers and one sister. (relationships)
Have can also be used as a modal auxiliary verb. As a modal auxiliary verb, have is used to make perfect tense forms.
Study the following sentences.
- They have received the parcel. (Here have combines with the past participle form received to form the present perfect tense.)
- She has returned. (Present perfect – active)
- You have done a good job. (Present perfect – active)
- They have accepted the offer. (Present perfect – active)
- She has declined the offer. (Present perfect – active)
- The offer has been declined by her. (Present perfect – passive)
- She has been reprimanded. (Present perfect – passive)