Checking the spelling of English have and has. Has or Have? Rule and six common mistakes

In the present and past tenses, it can merge with the negative particle not, in which the letter o is dropped and an apostrophe is used instead.

Conjugation of the verb have in Present Tense

Affirmative form Negative form Interrogative form
I have (I've) I have not (haven’t) Have I?
you have (you've) you have not (haven’t) Have you?
he has (he's) he has not (hasn’t) Has he?
she has (she's) she has not (hasn’t) Has she?
it has (it's) it has not (hasn’t) Has it?
we have (we've) we have not (haven’t) Have we?
you have (you've) you have not (haven’t) Have you?
they have (they've) they have not (haven’t) Have they?

NOTE:

The British English language is characterized by the formation of interrogative and negative forms with this verb without the auxiliary verb do, if isolated cases (actions) are meant, and with the help of the auxiliary verb do, if we mean constant possession (presence). Moreover, in the present tense in the first case in colloquial speech the construction with the verb is more often used get.

For example:

Have you (got) time for a game of chess?
Do you (now) have time to play chess?

Have you (got) any brothers?
Do you have brothers?

For American English and variants characteristic of other English-speaking countries, the use of forms with the auxiliary verb do is in all cases preferable.

For example, where an American might say: Can you help me now? Do you have time?, the Englishman will say: Can you help me now? Have you got time?

In cases where the verb have is used without the auxiliary verb do, the negative form is formed using the negation not (in the short form haven’t) or the negation before the noun, which in this case is used without an article.

Have you (got) a sister? - Do You have a sister? -
No, I have not. No.
I have no sister. I have no sister.

In the 3rd person singular, the contractions for the verbs be and have are the same, i.e. ‘s.

She's a doctor. = She is a doctor.
She's a book. = She has a book.

Conjugation of the verb have in Past Tense

Affirmative form Negative form Interrogative form
I had (I'd) I had not (hadn’t) Had I?
you had (you'd) you had not (hadn’t) Had you?
he had (he'd) he had not (hadn’t) Had he?
she had (she'd) she had not (hadn’t) Had she?
it had it had not (hadn’t) Had it?
we had (we'd) we had not (hadn’t) Had we?
you had (you'd) you had not (hadn’t) Had you?
they had (they'd) they had not (hadn’t) Had they?

Use

The verb to have is used:

  • 1. As an independent verb in the meaning of “to have”, “to possess”.

We have a summer cottage. We have a dacha.

As noted above, the meaning of “to have”, “to possess” in the British version is also conveyed by the combination have got.

I have(have got = I’ve got) an interesting book.
I have an interesting book.

Have did you get the latest newspaper? -
Do you have the latest issue of the newspaper (the latest newspaper)? -

No, I haven't got it.
No, I don't have one.

In the interrogative and negative forms, the auxiliary verb do is used to express ordinary actions (but not with the combination have got).

Do you have dinner at home?
Do you have lunch at home?

I don't have dinner at home very often.
I don't have lunch at home very often.

The interrogative and negative forms with the verb have meaning “to have” can be formed in two ways.

  • 2. As an auxiliary verb in combination with Past Participle (3rd form of the main verb) to form the following tenses:

I have been in hospital. I was in the hospital.
Doesn't have dug the patch for potatoes. He dug up a plot for potatoes.
Have you heard the new rock-group? Have you listened to the new rock band?

  • 3. As a modal verb in combination with an infinitive in the meaning of obligation, conditioned by circumstances (i.e., the need to perform an action, as required by conditions, circumstances, situation). The combination have to in such cases is translated must, need to, necessary, have to. In this meaning, the interrogative and negative forms are formed using the auxiliary verb do.

I have to go there. I must go there (i.e. I have to go there, I am forced to go there).
He has to take a bus to get to his office. He has to take a bus to his work.

In dialogues, the combinations have to/had to are often used independently, that is, the infinitive itself is omitted, but is implied.

Why do you put on your raincoat? - Why are you wearing a cloak? -
I have to. It looks like rain. I have to (put it on). It looks like it will rain.

Why do you wear spectacles? - Why do you wear glasses? -
I have to(wear them). I am short-sighted. I am forced (to wear them). I'm nearsighted.

I didn't want to stop but I had to(stop) as I needed petrol.
I didn't want to stop, but I had to because I ran out of gas (I needed gas).

  • 4. The verb to have in combination with nouns forms a whole series of phraseological expressions that have the meaning of a verb.

to have a talk - talk
to have supper - have dinner
to have a smoke - smoke
to have lunch - have breakfast
to have a swim - swim
to have a bath - take a bath
to have a rest - relax
to have difficulties/troubles - encounter difficulties/troubles
to have a good holiday - have a good holiday/vacation
to have dinner - have lunch

The interrogative (if it is a general question or a question not directed to the subject) and negative forms with these expressions are formed using the auxiliary verb do.

When do you have supper? When do you have dinner?
Did you have breakfast? Did you have breakfast?

The construction have + object + Past Participle expresses an action that is, has been, or will be performed by someone for the speaker or for the person indicated by the speaker.

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If you immediately understand the forms of this verb, then use of have has in English will seem very simple. Just remember the verb to be– he has three forms in the present tense. And to have- only two. This is already pleasing, isn’t it? And if you also correlate the rules of the simple present tense and the form of the verb “to have,” then everything generally falls into place!

Using have has in English

So what's special about use of have has in English? First, it is important to pay attention to which subject is in your sentence. It is from this moment that it depends which form of the verb needs to be used. According to grammatical rules, has only friends with he, she, it; A have- with all other persons and numbers.


Secondly, do not forget that in addition to statements, there are also questions with denials. Today it is acceptable to simply add in negation not to the corresponding verb form to have, and for a question, put the same form in front of the subject who has something in your sentence. You can also ask for help from do And does. For negatives with he, she, it will do doesn't, and for everyone else - don't. In a question, take out do or does(For he, she, it) in front of the subject.

In other words, using have has in English it is practically no different from other verbs in the present tense. It is only important to remember that there is a form has.

Using have in English with examples

Like all other rules, use of have in English It's better to remember with examples. This is what we will do right now!

example

translation

(+) We have two cars in the garage.

We have two cars in the garage.

(-) We haven't two cars in the garage.

We don't have two cars in the garage.

We don't have two cars in the garage.

(?) Have you a car in the garage?

Do you have a car in the garage?

Do you have a car in the garage?

(+) He has five dogs at home.

He has five dogs at home.

(-) He hasn't dogs at home.

He doesn't have dogs at home.

He doesn't have dogs at home.

If verbs in the grammar of any language denote the execution of an action by an object, then the function of modal verbs is to show the speaker’s attitude to the action taking place. And it, in turn, will be expressed in various ways.

Everything you need to know about the verb have

The topic of this article is devoted to the verb had, but you cannot begin to study the topic without understanding that this verb is only the past form of the verb have. In order to learn about the verb had, you need to have an idea about have. This verb is the most important in the English language. It is important not only because in conversation we often talk about our property, but also because it is often found in set phrases and is never translated literally. Had is one of the variants of have, which is involved in the formation of some languages. The verb have is used in 4 ways.

1. Has its direct meaning, that is, it acts as it is translated have. For example, to say "I have a lot of friends", The English say I have a lot of friends. That is, this sentence can be literally translated as “I have many friends.”

2. Occurs in set phrases and expressions. Here this verb no longer has a translation have. This is because stable phrases do not have a literal translation. Here are a few expressions that come up quite often.

2.1 Sayings about eating:

Have a tea - drink tea, not have tea.

2.2 Expressions related to dates and meetings:

Have a date - to make a date rather than have a date.

2.3 Statements about appearance:

Have a haircut - get a haircut.

2.4 Communication:

Have a talk - talk, have a conversation.

2.5 Health:

Have a baby - give birth to a baby.

Have a headache - my head hurts.

2.6 Travel:

Have a walk - go for a walk or stroll.

3. Occurs as a modal verb have to.

The variant had occurs in the Past Simple, Perfect and Perfect Continuous tenses.

What modal verbs exist in English?

In English, the following are considered modal: must, need, shouldd, have to, may, need, dare, might, be to, shall, ought, have got to.

If modal verbs such as have, be and should are auxiliary, then have, get, need and be have semantic meaning.

Functions of modal verbs

As you know, modal verbs are intended to indicate the attitude of the narrator to a certain action. This means we should consider the functions that modal verbs express during conversation.

1. Physical ability. For example, Helen is 20 years old. She can be in full employment. - Elena is 20 years old. She may be employed full time. That is, according to the law, she is allowed, and she has the right to do so.

2. Expresses the inability to perform a certain action. For example, Mike can't swim. - Mike doesn't (or can't) swim.

3. Expresses the need (obligation) for action. - We must respect our parents. We must (obliged) respect our parents.

4. Expresses lack of necessity. We do not have to buy products. - That is, we don’t have to buy food. It is not necessary.

5. Expresses a prohibition on action. Jack must not do it. - Jack shouldn't do this. That is, he is prohibited from performing a certain action.

6. Expresses confidence in action. He shouldn't be glad. - He must be happy. The speaker is sure of this.

7. Expresses probability. They wanted to be in now. - They are probably inside (the building) now.

8. Expresses a hypothetical possibility. The weather can get cold in October. - It can get colder in October. That is, this is theoretically possible.

9. Express a request for permission to perform an action. Can I open the window? - Can I open the window?

10. Expresses prohibition or permission. She may not use my laptop. - She can't use my laptop. You may use my phone. - You can use my phone.

How to use the verb had in English

In fact, it is have in the past tense. As you know, have to is a modal verb, or, more precisely, the equivalent of must. Must, in turn, has a very strong meaning, which denotes an obligation to perform a certain action. Based on the above, it is concluded that have to, being the equivalent of must, is also one of the hard verbs. If these verbs appear during a conversation, then this is not a request, but an order!

Here are examples of using have to in different tenses; pay attention to the tense in which the verb had is used.

She has to do it. - She is forced to make time).

She had to do it. - She should have done it (past tense).

She will have to do it. - She will have to do it (future tense).

In the second sentence, the modal verb had to is used in the past tense.

Difference between must and have to

The modal verb must is used for personal feelings. Let's give an example: I must do it. I have to do it. This example shows that the narrator is expressing his feelings about a certain action.

I have to visit my dentist. It shows that there are problems with the speaker's dental health and he should visit his dentist. It shows a fact, but not any personal emotions or feelings.

But often the line between these two modal verbs is so fine that people become confused when using them. When such situations arise, it is better to use have to.

It should be remembered that, unlike have to, the modal verb must does not have a past tense. Thus, the equivalent of have to can be used in all forms, including the past tense. In the past tense, have to becomes the modal verb had to.

I had to visit my girlfriend. The verb must cannot be used in this tense. Since it is past, the verb had is used here.

Using the verb had in the negative form

The verb had in its negative form becomes have. To understand why had turns into have, it is enough to remember the rule of the past tense. The verb had is used in the past tense, which means that when negated, it is preceded by did not, which means that had turns into have.

In British English, in interrogative sentences, the verb to have almost always comes before the subject, but in American English, the question begins with the word Do. This also applies to the negative form. Let's give a simple example:

Have you two sisters? - here is the British version.

In the American version, this question will begin with Do: Do ​​you have two sisters?

The verb Had can also be found in the formation of sentences in the Present Perfect tense. It should be recalled that this tense expresses an action that began in the past and is ongoing or has ended at the time of conversation. As you can see, this rule contains the past tense, which means the verb Had has found its tense here.

It should be remembered that when using had, the tense of the verb must only be past. This means that it cannot be used during a conversation in the present and especially the future tense.

In what tenses is the verb had used?

The fact that the verb had is used in the past tense is already clear; it is worth examining the use of had in the formation of two more English tenses.

To form the Past Perfect tense, the following construction is required:

verb had (past tense) + verb in the third form, or, more simply, the third column of irregular verbs.

Let's give an example, I had never seen him before - hence it is clear that the verb seen is the third form of the verb see - to see.

The Past Perfect Continuous is not the most common of all English tenses. This time can only be found in books. But it is worth studying to understand the entire tense system of the English language.

Tense is formed using the verb Had been + ing.

For example, We had been feeling well for some time.

That, in fact, is all that concerns the topic of the verb have and its past form had.

Design have got very popular in English. However, this expression is exclusively colloquial, so its shortened form is mostly found:

  • have got've got;
  • has got's got.

In formal written and spoken language have got not used.

This expression has three tasks in English, and each of them has its own characteristics. In this article we invite you to familiarize yourself with three meanings have got and learn some interesting set expressions in which this construction is used.

3 functions have got

1. Have got = to have

Design have got used to show that a person or thing has something or possesses something. This is the basic meaning of this expression.

We use have got:

  • When we describe people, animals or objects.

    She 's got a soft voice. – She has a soft voice.

    Lion 's got a thick mane. – Lions have thick manes.

    Flamingo has got a long beak. - Flamingos have a long beak.

    This table has got only three legs. This table has only three legs.

  • When we show that a person has something or belongs to him.

    He 's got a country house. - He has a country house.

    She 's got a new edition of this dictionary. – She has a new edition of this dictionary.

    He 's got a problem. - He has a problem.

    I 've got a brilliant idea. – I have a brilliant idea.

  • When we talk about relationships with people and relatives.

    She 's got many friends. - She has a lot of friends.

    He 's got a girlfriend. - He has a girlfriend.

    I 've got three brothers. - I have three brothers.

    He 's got strained relations with his father. – He has a strained relationship with his father.

  • When we tell what a person is sick with or what hurts them.

    I 've got a headache. - I have a headache.

    Melanie 's got a temperature. – Melanie has a fever.

    She 's got a cold. - She has a cold.

    They 've got chickenpox. - They have chickenpox.

In this meaning have got is a synonym for the verb to have(have). But it has some limitations. For example, in interrogative and negative sentences with have got you don't need to use an auxiliary verb:

Have Have got Translation
I have a raccoon and a fox. I have got a raccoon and a fox. I have a raccoon and a fox.
I don't have a raccoon and a fox. I have not got a raccoon and a fox. I don't have a raccoon or a fox.
Do you have a raccoon and a fox? Have you got a raccoon and a fox? Do you have a raccoon and a fox?

Design have got shows status so it is not used in group times Continuous instead of to have. Also this function does not involve the use have got in the past or future tense.

note that have got cannot be used in set expressions that use a verb have (have breakfast/lunch/dinner, to have a shower/bath, to have a good time), otherwise these expressions will radically change their meaning. Native speakers don't usually say that.

2. Have got = to get, to receive

Design have got used when we say that we will receive something. In this case it is a synonym for verbs to get, to receive(get). Here have got can be used in all tenses: present, past and future.

She 's got her new sunglasses by mail. She received her new glasses by mail.

A child had got a bump when he fell of the tree. – The child got a bump when he fell from a tree.

Andy had got good news. Andy got good news.

I will have got an answer in a week. – I will receive an answer in a week.

3. Have got to = have to

In the third meaning have got is a synonym. Like have to, have got shows an obligation to do something. There is no difference between them, but have got more emotionally charged than have to, therefore expresses obligation more strongly. Usually we highlight have got in speech by voice.

I 've got to get up early tomorrow. I have a lot of things to do. - I must get up early tomorrow. I have a lot to do.

Pam 's got to get to the bank before 9 or she’ll be late for work. – Pam must get to the bank before 9 or she'll be late for work.

You 've got to take this road or you'll be stuck in a traffic jam. - You must take this road or you'll get stuck in traffic.

We can't wait any longer. You 've got to be there in 5 minutes. - We can't wait any longer. You must be here in five minutes.

In the meaning of a modal verb have got to cannot be used in the past or future tense. In this case should only be used have to (had to, will have to).

We can't wait any longer. You had to be here 5 minutes ago. - We can't wait any longer. You must was here 5 minutes ago.

Watch the video with the teacher Alex. It will tell you about the functions have got in English and will tell you a few more interesting features of this design.

English idioms with have got construction

  1. I've got it! - I understand!

    First you must stop the car and then switch off the engine. Have you got it? – First you must stop the car, and then turn off the engine. Do you understand?

  2. Have got it made- life is good.

    He is only 25, but he has his own business. He's got it made. – He is only 25, but he already has his own business. Life is good.

  3. Have got it bad- fall head over heels in love.

    He saw her just once but he 's got it bad. “He only saw her once, but fell head over heels in love.

  4. Have got only yourself to blame- blame only yourself for something.

    You overslept and missed the train. You 've got only yourself to blame. - You overslept and missed the train. You you only have yourself to blame for this.

  5. Have got eyes like a hawk- have a diamond eye, a keen eye.

    He managed to find a needle in a haystack. He 's got eyes like a hawk! – He managed to find a needle in a haystack. Very sharp eye!

  6. Have got a hand in something- to have a hand in something, to participate in something.

    It looks like she 's got a hand in planning the party. - It looks like she put her hand to planning a party.

  7. Have got something on somebody- to have something on someone, to have dirt on someone.

    She promised to ruin my life but she 's got nothing on me. “She promised to ruin my life, but she there's nothing on me.

Have got is a very useful construction in the English language, as it is often used in live oral speech. With its help, you can build simple and understandable sentences, and interesting idioms will help you diversify your speech even more. Take the test to learn how to use the expression have got in English.

Test

3 meanings of have got in English

The verb to have in English, along with the verbs to be and to do, plays one of the key roles in the construction of phrases and sentences in relation to all tenses used. Depending on the context in which the semantic phrase is used, its meaning can be completely different.

Verb to have: basic meaning

As for the main use of this verb, so to speak, in its pure form, it is most often translated or defined as “to have” or “to possess.”

In the simplest case, when a phrase is constructed in the singular or plural of the first and third persons, it is used in the basic form. For example, I (we, they, you) have a dog - “I (we, they, you) have a dog.” However, for the third person singular and for constructing sentences indicating a past (accomplished) event, other forms are used.

Conjugation

In order to fully understand the specifics of its application, the verb has (had) as a derivative of the basic indefinite form to have should be considered precisely in the context of conjugation using persons and tenses. The meaning put into any phrase will depend on this.

The forms of the verb have (or more correctly, to have) look like this.

Please note that in relation to the pronoun you, the verb is used in the same form, but sometimes in English the pronoun itself can have the context of both references to “you” and references to “you”. In the American language, everything is simpler in this regard. The fact is that it always uses the “you” address, even in the sense of using the verb to be (in this case, its forms are).

For example, the phrase Are you sure? Can be translated both as “Are you sure?” and as “Are you sure?” The same is true with the verb to have.

Verb has (had): difference in usage

Based on the above system of conjugation of the main verb, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion about the use of some of its forms. As is already clear, the English verbs “has” refer to the third person present tense (he, she, it), and the form “had” is a derivative for constructing sentences of the past tense for any person and number (this will be discussed separately).

Using a verb in the present tense

As already mentioned, the basic form to have and its derivative (the English verb has in particular) in the present tense denote the possession of something (as shown in the example above).

The form changes from have to has only when the person and number change. That is, has is used exclusively in cases where the main pronoun is he, she or it (third person singular). For example, She has a dog - “She has a dog.” This one is simple. However, the correct form of the verb has is the main verb to have (indefinite form).

Using a verb in the past tense

With the past tense things are not so simple. The point here is that phrases may not be limited to the use of the special form had, and therefore a sentence may have different meanings in terms of the period of time when a certain action occurred.

To make it clearer, let's look at two examples. For the first case, let's take the phrase I had a pen. It can be translated as “I had a pen” (once upon a time). But if you use two forms of the main verb in the sentence I have had a pen, the meaning changes radically. This expression can also be interpreted as “I had a pen,” but the action has just ended. Roughly speaking, the pen was there a few moments ago, but now it’s gone.

In addition, the verb to have can be used with other verbs, but together they indicate different time periods of actions and their completeness. Thus, the phrase I have visited an exhibition can be translated as “I visited (visited) the exhibition” (just now). But when the sentence I have been visiting an exhibition is used (or with the abbreviation I've been - forms of the verb have can also have this form like shortened versions of to be in affirmative, interrogative or negative sentences), the interpretation implies that visiting the exhibition as lasting action took place at the very moment in question.

If the sentence also contains a past tense verb, the meaning changes accordingly (I’ve been visited... - “I was visited (by someone)”, “I was visited/visited”).

But participles may also be present, for example, I’ve been crying - “I cried / cried” at the very moment in question (literally - “I was / was crying / crying”).

By the way, Americans often add the verb to get when constructing past tense phrases. In this case, the phrase I’ve got.. is almost equivalent to a regular past tense sentence, although it can be literally translated as “I received/received”, “I became/became the owner”, etc.

Constructing sentences in the future tense

The conjugation of the verb has, hopefully, is already clear, although by and large this is an absolutely incorrect formulation of the question, since it is not the verb has that is conjugated, but its basic form to have. But let's move on to constructing sentences in the future tense. There is a lot of interesting things here too. As a rule, to describe actions in the near future, that is, if something needs to be done right now, the verb to have can also be used, but in this case it means some kind of obligation. True, in the Russian language there is no pure analogue to such phrases. Let's explain with an example.

The phrase I have to go into Russian can be literally translated as “I have to go.” Brad, isn't it? To adjust in terms of the described obligation, the translation “I must leave” is used, which is more clearly described by the English phrase I must go. But a complete analogy in translation can be found in the same Ukrainian language, which in this regard is somewhat closer to European ones. Literally, the above phrase can be translated as “I may go,” which means “I must (must) leave.” In this case, the meaning includes an action that needs to be performed now or in some period of time after voicing the intention.

Inconsistencies between English and American: Interrogative Sentences

Let's leave the verb has (had) aside for now and look at some of the nuances that can be found in pure English and unified American languages. From the point of view of constructing interrogative sentences, in English they must begin with a main verb denoting a specific action. In other words, you could ask your interlocutor whether he has a dog using the phrase Have you a dog?. From an English point of view this is correct. But Americans often add the action verb to do to the seemingly main verb to have, which plays the main role. Thus, the question about a dog in the American version looks like this: Do you have a dog?

In addition, very often you can find phrases like “You have a dog?”, and in interrogative form. If translated, this phrase could mean surprise, “Oh, you have a dog?” The emphasis is either on the word “is” or on the word “dog”. In other words, the question implies ordinary surprise at a certain fact. By the way, Americans simply ignore the classical rules for constructing sentences of any time or any level of complexity, in contrast to the inhabitants of old England with its established traditions.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the above, the verb has (had) is just one of the forms of the main verb to have. And its use, depending on the type of situation, can be completely different. But, I think, the main aspects are already clear to most readers using the simplest examples. By and large, the American language is easier for residents of non-English-speaking countries, and it is simply impossible to learn English, not to mention the Scottish or Irish dialect, without living in the UK with everyday communication.

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