Confused About Has, Have, Had ? Here’s a Simple Guide to Get It Right

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why These Words Matter

In English, some words seem small but play a big role in how we speak and write. “Has , have, had” are perfect examples. These three words are used every day, often without us even noticing. But for many English learners, choosing the right one can feel confusing.

Have you ever wondered whether to say “She has a car” or “She have a car”? Or maybe you’ve heard someone say “They had lunch” and thought, “Why not have?” That’s where things get tricky—but don’t worry, it’s easier than it seems.

These words help us talk about what someone owns, what they’ve done, or what happened in the past. Once you understand when and how to use “has,” “have,” and “had,” your grammar will improve, and your confidence will grow.

In this blog, we’ll break down the rules in simple steps, give you real-life examples, and even share tips to help you remember which one to use. Let’s get started!

What Are “Has,” “Have,” and “Had”?

“Has,” “have,” and “had” are different forms of the verb “to have.” This verb is one of the most commonly used in English. It can show two main things:

Possession – what someone owns or has
Action – when used as a helping (auxiliary) verb to talk about completed actions

Let’s look at them one by one:

“Have” and “Has” – Present Tense

These are used when you’re talking about now or something that is currently true.
The form you use depends on the subject (the person or thing doing the action).

Use “have” with:

I
You
We
They
Plural nouns (e.g., dogs, students)

Example:

I have two sisters.
They have a big house.

Use “has” with:

He
She
It
Singular nouns (e.g., a boy, the cat)

Example:

She has a nice smile.
The dog has a collar.

“Had” – Past Tense

“Had” is used for all subjects when talking about the past.
It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural—“had” stays the same.

Examples:

I had a bicycle when I was a kid.
She had a cold last week.
They had dinner at 7 PM.

So in short:

Use have/has for the present
Use had for the past

These small words may seem simple, but they’re powerful tools for speaking and writing clearly.

Usage of “Have” – With Clear Examples

The word “have” is used a lot in English. It’s a main verb and also a helping verb, depending on how you use it. Let’s break it down in a simple way with examples so you can understand and remember it easily.

1. “Have” to Show Possession (Present Tense)

When you want to say that someone owns something or something belongs to them, you can use “have.”

Used with:

I
You
We
They
Plural nouns (like “children,” “friends”)

Examples:

I have a mobile phone.
You have a nice voice.
We have an exam tomorrow.
They have two dogs.
My parents have a big house.

Here, “have” simply shows what someone owns.

2. “Have” as an Action (Something You Experience or Do)

Sometimes, “have” is used to talk about experiences like eating, taking a break, or even a conversation.

Examples:

Let’s have lunch together.
I have a headache.
We have a meeting at 5 PM.
They have fun at the park every weekend.

👉 In these sentences, “have” shows an activity or experience, not possession.

3. “Have” as a Helping Verb (Present Perfect Tense)

“Have” also works as a helping (auxiliary) verb when you talk about actions that happened in the past but are still connected to the present. This is called the present perfect tense.

Formula:
have + past participle (verb³)

Examples:

I have finished my homework.
You have seen that movie before.
We have traveled to many places.
They have completed the task.

This use of “have” helps form a perfect tense and talks about something that is still important now.

Quick Tip to Remember:

Use of “Have”	Meaning	Example
To show possession	Own something	I have a new phone.
To show experience	Doing or feeling something	We have dinner at 8.
As a helping verb	Link to past actions	They have gone to the store.

Usage of “Has” – Explained with Simple Examples

The word “has” is a form of the verb “to have” and is used in the present tense. It is mostly used when talking about he, she, it, or a single person or thing. Like “have,” the word “has” can show possession, experiences, and can also be used as a helping verb.

Let’s look at each use step by step.

1. “Has” to Show Possession (Present Tense)

Use “has” when you want to say someone owns something or something belongs to them.

Used with:

He
She
It
A singular name (like Riya, Rahul, the cat, etc.)

Examples:

He has a new watch.
She has long black hair.
It has four wheels. (talking about a car)
Rahul has a cricket bat.
My sister has a beautiful voice.

In these examples, “has” tells us what someone possesses.

2. “Has” to Talk About Experience or Daily Activities

“Has” is also used to talk about common actions or routines – things people do or feel regularly.

Examples:

She has dinner at 8 PM every day.
He has a cold.
My brother has fun with his friends.
The baby has a nap in the afternoon.

Here, “has” is not just about possession – it’s about what someone does or experiences.

3. “Has” as a Helping Verb (Present Perfect Tense)

Sometimes “has” works together with another verb to form the present perfect tense. It helps describe an action that happened in the past but is still important now.

Formula:
has + past participle (verb³)

Examples:

He has completed his work.
She has gone to the market.
It has started raining.
Riya has finished reading the book.

This use of “has” connects the past with the present.

Quick Recap:

Use of “Has”	Meaning	Example
To show possession	Someone owns something	She has a pet dog.
To talk about action	Daily activities/feelings	He has a sore throat.
As a helping verb	Present perfect tense	It has broken down.

Usage of “Had” – Easy Explanation with Examples

The word “had” is the past tense form of “have.” It is used to talk about things that happened or existed in the past. Unlike “have” and “has,” which are used in the present tense, “had” is used for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) when talking about the past.

Let’s look at how we use “had” clearly.

1. “Had” to Show Possession in the Past

When you want to say that someone owned something or something belonged to someone in the past, you use “had.”

Used with:
All subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)

Examples:

I had a bike when I was a child.
She had long hair last year.
They had a big house before moving here.
We had a lot of fun at the party.
He had many books to read.

This shows something that was true in the past but may not be true now.

2. “Had” to Talk About Past Experiences or Actions

You can also use “had” when talking about experiences or actions that took place before now, in the past.

Examples:

They had dinner at 7 PM yesterday.
I had a headache this morning.
She had a meeting with her teacher last week.
We had a great vacation last summer.

3. “Had” as a Helping Verb (Past Perfect Tense)

“Had” also works as a helping verb to form the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past.

Formula:
had + past participle (verb³)

Examples:

I had finished my homework before dinner.
She had left the office when I called.
They had already eaten when we arrived.
We had visited that place before the festival started.

This helps to show the order of events in the past.

Quick Summary:

Use of “Had”	Meaning	Example
To show past possession	Owned something in the past	He had a red car last year.
To talk about past actions	Experienced or did something in past	We had a meeting yesterday.
As a helping verb	Past perfect tense	She had finished before noon.

Comparison Table: Has vs. Have vs. Had

Word	Who We Use It With	When to Use It (Tense)	Main Uses	Example Sentences
Have	I, you, we, they, plural nouns	Present tense	Showing possession, talking about actions, or helping verb in present perfect	– I have a new book.- They have lunch at noon.- We have finished our homework.
Has	He, she, it, singular nouns	Present tense	Showing possession, talking about actions, or helping verb in present perfect	– She has a bike.- He has a cold.- It has started raining.
Had	All subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)	Past tense	Showing past possession or past actions; helping verb in past perfect	– We had a meeting yesterday.- She had a car last year.- They had finished before noon.

Simple Rules to Remember:

Have and Has are used in the present.
Use Have with I, you, we, they and plural nouns.
Use Has with he, she, it and singular nouns.
Had is used for all subjects but only in the past.
Have and Has can work as helping verbs for actions connected to the present.
Had can be a helping verb to talk about actions completed before another past action.

Has, Have, Had as Helping Verbs (Perfect Tenses)

In English, has, have, and had don’t just show possession — they also help us talk about actions in perfect tenses. These tenses tell us about actions that are completed or happened before a certain time.

What Are Helping Verbs?

Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) work with the past participle of a main verb to create perfect tenses. For example:

have/has + past participle (e.g., have eaten, has gone)
had + past participle (e.g., had finished, had seen)

1. Present Perfect Tense (Using Has/Have)

We use has and have with the past participle to talk about actions that:

Happened at an unspecified time in the past but are connected to now
Started in the past and continue now
Recently finished

Structure:

have/has + past participle

Examples:

I have visited Paris.
She has finished her homework.
They have lived here for five years.

2. Past Perfect Tense (Using Had)

We use had with the past participle to talk about an action that happened before another past action.

Structure:

had + past participle

Examples:

I had eaten before the guests arrived.
She had left when I called her.
They had finished the project by last week.

Why Use Perfect Tenses with Has, Have, and Had?

Perfect tenses help us explain the timing and order of actions clearly. Using these helping verbs makes your English sound natural and correct.

Easy Tips to Remember Has, Have, and Had

Has = He, She, It
Use has with singular third-person subjects like he, she, it or a single thing.
Example: She has a cat.
Have = I, You, We, They
Use have with I, you, we, they or plural nouns.
Example: They have two cars.
Had = Past Tense for Everyone
Use had for all subjects when talking about something in the past.
Example: I had breakfast early today.
Helping Verb Role
When using perfect tenses, remember:
- Has/Have + past participle = present perfect (action linked to now)
- Had + past participle = past perfect (action before another past action)
  Example: She has finished her work. / They had left before I arrived.
Ask Yourself:
- Is the subject singular (he, she, it)? → Use has
- Is the subject plural or “I/you/we/they”? → Use have
- Is it about the past? → Use had
Practice with Simple Sentences
Try making small sentences using each word:
- I have a pen.
- He has a book.
- We had fun yesterday.

Practice Section: Has, Have, and Had

Try these exercises to get comfortable using has, have, and had correctly. Fill in the blanks with the right word!

1. Fill in the blanks with has or have:

She ______ a new phone.
We ______ a big garden at home.
I ______ two brothers and one sister.
They ______ finished their homework.
He ______ a lot of books in his bag.

2. Fill in the blanks with had (past tense):

Yesterday, I ______ a great time at the park.
They ______ already eaten when I arrived.
She ______ a bicycle when she was a child.
We ______ finished the project before the deadline.
He ______ left the office by 6 PM.

3. Choose the correct word (has, have, or had):

You (has / have / had) to see this movie!
The dog (has / have / had) been very quiet today.
We (has / have / had) never been to that restaurant before.
She (has / have / had) a headache last night.
They (has / have / had) finished the work already.

Answers:

has, have, have, have, has
had, had, had, had, had
have, has, have, had, have

Conclusion

Understanding when and how to use has, have, and had is important for speaking and writing English clearly. These words help us talk about possession, actions, and timing — whether in the present or the past.

Remember the easy rules: use has with he, she, it; have with I, you, we, they; and had for all subjects when talking about the past. Also, don’t forget their role as helping verbs in perfect tenses — they show when actions happened and if they are connected to now or the past.

With a little practice, using these words will become natural and simple. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll use has, have, and had like a pro!