What Have and Has Mean
Have says that something belongs to someone: a possession, a family, a feature. It is the first irregular verb most learners meet, and it is irregular in exactly one place — with he, she and it it does not add -s, it changes shape into has.
HAVEI / you / we / they
I, you, we and they all take have.
I have two sisters.
Four of the six subjects keep the plain form.
HAShe / she / it
He, she and it take has.
My sister has long black hair.
My sister is she — and she is one of the three that change.
The trap is that the ordinary rule would give you haves, and no such word exists. Nor does hases. There is one change to learn, have → has, and it happens only in the affirmative — as the next section shows, a negative or a question takes it straight back off again.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"My brother a new bike."
- Question 2
"My parents a small shop."
The forms
POSITIVE
Shave / hasobject
She has two brothers.
Has for he, she and it; have for everyone else.
NEGATIVE
Sdo / doesn'thave
She doesn't have a car.
Never doesn't has — the ending is already sitting on doesn't.
QUESTION
Do / DoesShave?
Does she have a car?
Short answer: Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't — never Yes, she has.
THE ODD ONE OUT
- workworks
- playplays
- watchwatches
- studystudies
- havehas
ordinary verbs add -s / -es / -ies · have loses a letter instead and becomes has — never haves
In the positive it sits on the verb (she has). As soon as doesn't or Does arrives, that word is carrying it, so have drops back to its base form: she doesn't have, does she have? — the same rule you already know from she doesn't work.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"The house a red door."
- Question 2
"She a bicycle."
- Question 3
" your parents have a car?"
When to use it
Possessions
They have a small flat in the city.
The thing belongs to the subject.
Signal words: a car · a phone · a house · money
Family and relationships
I have two sisters.
People are not owned, but English still uses have for them.
Signal words: a brother · three cousins · a lot of friends
Description
The house has a red door.
Parts and features of a person, a place or a thing.
Signal words: long hair · blue eyes · two bedrooms
Things you do
We have lunch at twelve.
Here have means take, eat or experience — not own.
Signal words: have breakfast · have a shower · have a party
it means exactly what I have a bike means. The have got pattern is learned at A2 — for now have and Do you have…? cover every situation.
The fourth card is a different verb wearing the same coat, and the difference is easy to test. We have lunch at twelve is an activity, so it can be happening right now: I am having lunch is perfectly normal English. Ownership cannot happen right now, which is why I am having a car and I am having two brothers are impossible. If have means own, it stays in the simple form.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:She haves a new phone.
Correct:She has a new phone.
have does not take -s; it changes into has
Incorrect:He doesn't has a bike.
Correct:He doesn't have a bike.
doesn't already carries the ending → have goes back to its base form
Incorrect:Does your brother has a job?
Correct:Does your brother have a job?
the same rule in a question: Does takes the ending, have stays plain
Incorrect:Does she have a car? — Yes, she has.
Correct:Does she have a car? — Yes, she does.
a short answer repeats the auxiliary that opened the question
Incorrect:In my house has three rooms.
Correct:My house has three rooms.
a place named after in can no longer be the subject — say My house has…, or There are three rooms in my house
Incorrect:I have 20 years old.
Correct:I am 20 years old.
age is said with be in English, never with have
Quick check · 6 questions
Choose the correct form:
Our teacher has a red car.
- A. has — Correct
- B. have
- C. haves
Answer: A. has
That word does not exist. Have changes shape entirely instead of taking an ending.
Choose the correct form:
My grandparents have a farm.
- A. have — Correct
- B. has
Answer: A. have
Has belongs to he, she and it. My grandparents is they, so the form is have.
Choose the correct negative:
Nam doesn't have a phone.
- A. doesn't have — Correct
- B. doesn't has
- C. don't have
Answer: A. doesn't have
The third-person ending appears once per sentence. Once doesn't has it, have goes back to its base form.
Choose the word that starts the question:
Do you have any brothers?
- A. Do — Correct
- B. Does
- C. Have
Answer: A. Do
Have is an ordinary verb here, so its question borrows do or does exactly like any other verb.
Choose the correct short answer:
"Does she have a bike?" — "No, she doesn't."
- A. doesn't — Correct
- B. hasn't
- C. don't
Answer: A. doesn't
The question opened with Does, so the short answer closes with doesn't rather than hasn't.
Choose the correct verb:
My daughter is six years old.
- A. is — Correct
- B. has
- C. have
Answer: A. is
Several languages say someone has a number of years, and English does not. Age is one of the few places where have is exactly the wrong verb.
