Has or Have

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Guest

#64134 Wed, 29 Dec 04 09:52 PM

I often have trouble knowing when to use have or has in sentences and when speaking. What is the rule for using has or have. When is it appropriate to use have and when is it appropriate to use has?

Guest

just the truth

#64159 Thu, 30 Dec 04 12:41 AM

Much much too wide a topic, Guest. Can you narrow the topic, perhaps give a few examples of your problem areas. I can't imagine that someone who writes as well as you have here would have any problems.

just the truth

Joined on Mon, Dec 27 2004

Regular Member (849)

Mister Micawber

#64171 Thu, 30 Dec 04 01:54 AM

Here's a start:

When using the present tense (with 'to have' as the main verb), or the present perfect tense (with 'to have' as the auxiliary verb), 'has' is used only in the third person singular-- that is, when the subject is a single entity that is not you or I: he, she, it, John, the Eiffel Tower, etc.

I have a headache.
You have a headache.
She/ he/ it/ John/ the Eiffel Tower has a headache.
We have headaches.
You all have headaches.
They have headaches.

I have never eaten locusts.
You have never eaten locusts.
She/he/it/John/the Eiffel Tower has never eaten locusts.
We have never eaten locusts.
You all have never eaten locusts.
They have never eaten locusts.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (20,393)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Verbs, Tenses, Auxiliaries, Present tenses, Present perfect

Anonymous

#267029 Thu, 14 Sep 06 04:59 PM

No really - please, if anyone knows, write it out on the Net. I too would like to know.

Im searching but there are no answers to be found. This is as far as I´'ve come:

Use Has -. when only one of easch thing, It, She,m He , A /An/One etc

Or If a colletive , for instance the family/the Police is seen upon as one then has (in America), but in Britain its have ..

(BUT it varies in British English and America English and ...)

And to get even more confused...everybody anybody nobody and someone/somebody it to be used with has regardless of number of persons in the group - please commetn on this! Thank you. Nina

Anonymous

Numbers, British English

Goodman

#267158 Thu, 14 Sep 06 09:04 PM

Guest wrote:
I often have trouble knowing when to use have or has in sentences and when speaking. What is the rule for using has or have. When is it appropriate to use have and when is it appropriate to use has?

To begin with, “have” is used with “I”, “you”, “they” and “has” is used with “it”, “she”, and “he”. I think that’s not a problem. If my guess is correct, the countable and uncountable nouns sometimes can create lots of confusions as to whether to use singular (has) or plural (have).

Police, as strange as it might seem, is referred to as plural noun and therefore take “have” as in: The police have arrested a suspect in connection to the recent robberies in this neighborhood.

She has just quit her job.

I have hired a new secretary to replace her.

I have to pay her more money though.

You have to train her as to what she has to do.

The scissors have dull edges.

My glasses have scratches on them

My trousers have holes on them

Goodman

Joined on Mon, Nov 7 2005

Calif. USA

Senior Member (3,090)

The name says it all!

Plurals, Nouns, Uncountable nouns, Countable nouns

Anonymous

#310032 Wed, 03 Jan 07 03:13 PM

What about the sentenses using "and" or "or", such as:

If you or your staff (have or has) any questions, then please contact me.

then which do you use?

Anonymous

Tenses

Anonymous

#469603 Mon, 28 Jan 08 05:53 AM

Mr. Micawber thank you for the explanation. I understand now. I am sure the same instructions were given to me when I studied grammar but I was less interested in grammar although literature brought out the love in me. Again, thank you.

Anonymous