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Have and have got, part 1 of 3

Have vs Has: When to Use Each

Use have with I, you, we, and they, and has with he, she, and it: I have a dog, she has a cat. After does, use have: Does she have a cat?

A1 · 12 minBefore:Do, does, don't, or doesn't

The idea

What have is and when it is has

Have means to own or hold something. With he, she, it, or one person or thing it changes to has; after do or does it is have again.

  1. Have with I, you, we, they. I have a bike. We have a bike.
  2. Has with one person or thing. He, she, it, my dad, or the house: My dad has a bike.
  3. With does, have again. The -s is already in does: Does he have a bike?

When to use it

To say what you own, who is in your family, and what a person or a place is like. These expressions go with it:

Things

  • have a job
  • have time
  • have money
  • have a key

People

  • have kids
  • have a brother
  • have friends
  • have a boyfriend

What someone is like

  • have brown eyes
  • have long hair
  • have a nice smile
  • have a big family

Examples

  • What you own

    We have a small car.

  • Your family

    She has two sisters.

  • What someone looks like

    He has curly hair.

  • What a place has

    Our school has a big library.

  • Asking

    Does your cousin have a dog?

  • Saying no

    My parents don't have a TV.

How to build it

4 steps

  1. Look at the subjectIs it he, she, it, or one person or thing (my mom, the house)?My mom
  2. If it is one of those, hasIn an affirmative sentence:My mom has a garden.
  3. With the rest, haveI, you, we, they, or more than one:My parents have a garden.
  4. With do or does, always haveIn negatives and questions, the -s is already in does:My mom doesn't have a garden.

Affirmative

  1. SubjectLuis
  2. have / hashas
  3. complementthree cousins.

Negative

  1. SubjectLuis
  2. don't / doesn'tdoesn't
  3. havehave
  4. complementa car.

Question

  1. Do / DoesDoes
  2. subjectLuis
  3. havehave
  4. complementa car
  5. ??

The rule

Have or has in the three forms

SubjectAffirmativeNegativeQuestion
I, you, we, theyThey have a pet.They don't have a pet.Do they have a pet?
he, she, itHe has a pet.He doesn't have a pet.Does he have a pet?

How to pronounce it

  • have

    /hæv/

    The h is a soft breath and the final e is silent.

  • has

    /hæz/

    The s sounds like /z/, not /s/.

Check

Does your sister (blank) a bike? Which word goes in the blank?

Don't confuse it with there is

The hotel has a gym.

Has: the hotel owns it

There is a gym near the hotel.

There is: something in a place

Has says who owns something; there is says that something is in a place.

There is and there are

In real life

In a store, Do you have...? is how you ask if they have something: Do you have this in black?

Frequently asked questions

Why is it has and not haves?

Because have is irregular with he, she, and it: it does not just add -s like work (works); it changes to has. Haves is not used as a verb.

Can have also be a helper verb?

Yes, in tenses like I have finished, which come later. In this lesson have means to own or hold something.

Is it my family have or my family has?

In American English, has: My family has a farm. Family, team, and class work like it, even if they are many people.

In short

  • With I, you, we, they, or more than one: have.
  • With he, she, it, or one person or thing: has.
  • After do, does, don't, or doesn't: have (Does she have...?).
  • Age does not go with have: I am 20.
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By Bryan López ·
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