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Mastering the Many Uses & Meanings of HAVE in English Grammar

Updated: Jul 17

1. What are the main uses & meanings of 'have' in English?

'Have' is a verb with various uses and meanings in English.


It's mainly used as a main verb and an auxiliary verb.


-Form (positive): have (present) , had (past), having (present participle)

-Form (negative): have not, had not, not having



Grammar Point!

We use 'has' for : he/she/it (3rd singular person rule) in the Present Simple.


Check out the YouTube Video>>Unlock the Secrets of HAVE in Grammar


Infographic - Uses & Meanings of HAVE
8 Uses & Meanings of HAVE - PDF

Grammar Practice Worksheet & Answer Key
HAVE - Worksheet & Answer key








      




























HAVE & its many uses in grammar:













2. Different Uses & Meanings of 'have' in English Grammar


We use 'have' to talk about:




We have a cat and a dog.
'have' as a main verb

i) possession, relationship & illness


e.g. We have a cat and a dog.



ii) action & experiences


e.g. Let's have some fun!



'have' also has these meanings:


iii) have = eat, drink etc.


e.g. What would you like to have for lunch?



iv) have = pregnant / to give birth


e.g. Sheila is having a boy.



-Auxiliary verb

v) to form the Perfect Tense


e.g. I have never seen this person before. (Present Perfect)



vi) to make the Passive Form


e.g. The book has been taken by that man. (Present Perfect Passive)



vii) -Obligation

- have to = need to (similar to 'must)


e.g. We have to leave now.



viii) -Causative

someone causes another person to do something for them


e.g. My friend had her pool cleaned yesterday.

(the pool is cleaned by someone else e.g. professional cleaner)



Grammar Point!

These are some of the common uses of "have" in English. But there may be other more specific contexts where we use 'have', too.




3. How to Use 'have' in Sentences - Examples


a) possession, relationship & illness


They have a son and a daughter.
possessive use of 'have'

Example Sentence


1.Susan has a new car.

2.They have a son and a daughter.

3.Does your son have a fever?








Check out the difference :



b) 'have' as an auxiliary verb


i) have + (past participle) to form the Perfect Tense


e.g.


1. Have you seen my glasses? (present perfect)


2. I knew the story, but I had forgotten the title of the book. (past perfect)


3. They will have been studying English for a year next month. (future perfect)




ii) 'have'+ been + (Past Participle) to make the Passive Form


e.g.


1. The meals have been cooked by grandma. (passive present perfect)




c) Common Expressions with "have" for actions & experiences


-(have + object) to talk about action & experiences


e.g.

-have a swim / shower / wash

-have a facial / haircut /massage

-have a nap / break / party



Example Sentence


My neighbour is having a party.
Expressions with 'have'

1. My neighbour is having a party.

2. Let's have a swim.

3. Have a break! You've been working nonstop for hours.

4. The children are having a lot of fun at the beach.

5. I need to have a shower. It's been a long day.




d) have = experience


Example Sentence

Did you have a good time at the pool?
Use 'have' for experience

1. Sam, did you have a good time at the pool?

2. Have fun!

3. She had a rough day at work.

4. We had a nice time at the party.

5. Have a safe trip!





e) have = pregnant


1.She's having a baby. (She's pregnant.)

2.My sister's having twins.

Nora's just had a baby.
Different Uses of 'have'


f) have = to give birth


e.g. Norah's just had a baby.

(Norah has just given birth.)




g. Expression of obligation or certainty:


'have to' = need to (meaning similar to 'must')


Form - (have to + verb)



Example Sentence:


Woman: Do we have to leave now?

Man: Yeah, come on. We have to be there by six.


Sam: Don't forget tomorrow's meeting at 3.

Freddie: Ok. I'll talk to you again. I have to go now.


A:When do you have to submit this report?

B:I have to do it by tomorrow.



h. Causative:


'Have' can be used to indicate that 'someone causes another person to do something for them'


The subject e.g. my neighbour, we, etc. causes someone else to do the action(verb) e.g. painted, do, done etc.


-(have + object + verb) = causing experiencing actions / events



She had her house painted by a professional.
'have' as a Causative

Example Sentence:


1.My neighbour had her house painted last weekend.

2.We had him our teenaged son do the dishes.

3.Meg had her nails done at the new salon.

4.Bob had his kitchen lights fixed yesterday.

5.I had the front gate replaced 3 days ago.










Read the story below and look out for the different ways we use HAVE. Can you spot them?


4. Short Story : The Balancing Act


Sarah rushed into her office, coffee in hand, trying to juggle her laptop bag and files. Her colleague, Emma, greeted her with a smile. "Hey Sarah, how was your weekend?"


"It was great, thanks! I had a relaxing time with my family," Sarah replied, placing her belongings on her desk.


Emma noticed Sarah's tired expression. "You look exhausted. Did you have a late night?"


"Yeah, I did. My daughter had a fever, so I had to stay up with her," Sarah

Two female colleagues at a meeting
Sarah & Emma at the office

explained, sighing.


"Oh no, I hope she's feeling better now," Emma said sympathetically.


"Thank you, she is. But now I have this big presentation to prepare for. I have to finish it by noon," Sarah replied, opening her laptop.




Emma nodded understandingly. "Well, if you need any help, just let me know. We're all here for each other."


"Thanks, Emma. I appreciate it," Sarah said gratefully, diving into her work.

As Sarah worked on her presentation, her phone buzzed with a message.


It was from her husband. "Honey, don't forget we have dinner plans tonight with my parents," the message read.


Sarah sighed, feeling overwhelmed. "I completely forgot about that. How am I going to finish this presentation in time?" she muttered to herself.


Emma overheard and offered, "Why don't you take a break? We can have lunch together and brainstorm some ideas for your presentation."


Sarah smiled gratefully. "That would be amazing, thank you. I really appreciate your support."


Throughout the day, Sarah tackled her tasks with determination. By the time lunch came around, she and Emma sat down to eat, discussing strategies and sharing ideas.


After lunch, Sarah returned to her desk, feeling more confident. She polished up her presentation and sent it off to her boss, feeling relieved that it was finally done.


As she packed up her belongings to leave for the day, Emma approached her. "You did a great job today, Sarah. I'm proud to have you as a colleague."


Sarah smiled, feeling grateful for the support she received. "Thanks, Emma. I couldn't have done it without you."


With a sense of accomplishment, Sarah left the office, ready to enjoy dinner with her family, knowing that she could handle whatever challenges came her way with the help of her supportive colleagues.



How many HAVE did you spot?


Different Ways of Using HAVE for the passage above:

-had a relaxing time

-Did you have a late night

-My daughter had a fever, so I had to stay up with her

-I have this big presentation to prepare

-I have to finish it by noon

-we have dinner plans tonight

-We can have lunch

-I'm proud to have you as a colleague

-I couldn't have done




4. Let's Recap!


We've looked at different ways & grammar uses of 'have'. We've also learnt the meaning of 'have' and how to use it in Example Sentences.


Uses of 'have':

a) possession, relationship & illness

b) action & experiences

c) have = eat, drink etc.

d) have = pregnant / to give birth

e) Auxiliary verb

- to form the Perfect Tense

f) - to make the Passive Form

g) Obligation / certainty

-have to = need to (similar to 'must)

h) Causative

-someone causes another person to do something for them



5. Review


Let's test out how 'have' is used in these exercises below!


Fill in the blanks with the correct form of 'have'.

-have / has, had, having



1. He .......... a house in the country.

2. The children are ............ a great time with their grandparents.

3. Are you .......... drinks with us later?

4. Jane is .......... a baby boy.

5. Tom .......... broken up with her girlfriend.

6. We .......... .... hurry or we'll miss our flight.

7. My friend ......... her broken tooth fixed.

8. Our family trip ........... been cancelled.


Answer:

1. has

2. having

3. having

4. having

5. has

6. have to

7. has

8. has





Make sure to check out some of the useful links below:

>>How to Use the Present Perfect Simple

>>Imperative Verbs for Cooking

>>What is the Past Participle & How to Use



Thanks for reading and have fun speaking!



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