[Update] Difference Between Has and Have (with Examples and Comparison Chart) | has or have – NATAVIGUIDES

In the English language, when we want to express possession, we either use have or has, depending on the person. Most of the time, the words has and have are being used interchangeably, but there are certain rules concerning their use in the sentences which must be followed for making it gramatically correct. We use ‘has‘ with a third person, i.e. He, She, It, etc. whereas we mainly use ‘have‘ with a first and second person, i.e. with I, We, You, etc. and also with the third person when the sentence starts with ‘they’.

Now come let’s go through the example to understand the difference between Has and Have.

• It has been a year since we have talked.
• Jacob has done the job perfectly. All the teachers have appreciated his efforts.
• Have you replied to the mail? Your sister has already replied to it.

In the first example, has is used with the third person ‘it’ while have is used with the second person ‘we’. Likewise, in the second example, Jacob is a singular noun, so we have used ‘has’ there, but in the second part of the sentence, we have used ‘have’ with the plural noun, i.e. teachers. Lastly, in the third sentence, ‘have’ is used with the first person and ‘has’ is used with a singular noun.

Content: Has Vs Have

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonHasHave

MeaningHas is a form of have, that denotes what people hold or possess.Have is the base form of verb, that means to possess, hold or own something.

Pronunciationhazhav

NounsUsed with singular nouns.Used with plural nouns.

PronounHe, She, It, This, ThatI, We, You, They, These, Those

ExamplesShe has good market knowledge.You have good sense of humor.

Akira has submitted the college project today.I have to submit the project by tomorrow, any how.

Has she confirmed the railway reservation status?Have you entered your personal details in the railway reservation form?

Definition of Has

Has is a word indicating possession or ownership of something. It is the present tense of ‘have’ used with third person singular, i.e. he/she/it/ singular noun. Come let’s understand where to use ‘has’:

1. It is used when we own, possess or hold something:
   • She has a house in Bengaluru.
   • Melissa has a joint injury.
2. It can also be used when we talk about things that we eat:
   • Peter often has noodles for lunch.
3. It indicates relation:
   • Jane has two brothers and a sister.
4. It is used with ‘to’ to show some obligation:
   • He has to pay the electricity bill by today evening or else penalty will apply.
   • Plan B has to work properly.

Definition of Have

Have is an indicator of possessing or owning something. It is the base form of verb, which is mainly used with the first person and second person, singular pronouns and third person plural pronouns. Below we’ve discussed where to use have in sentences:

1. It is used with the third form of other verbs, i.e. past participle form to create sentences in present perfect tense or past perfect tense.
   • I have visited Singapore twice.
   • They have taken part in the cultural program.
2. It means to hold, possess or own something:
   • I have some issues with the current strategy.
   • You have a really beautiful garden at your home.
3. To ask for food or drink:
   • What would you like to have: tea or coffee?
   • I have had snacks just an hour ago.
4. When we experience something:
   • You might have faced some difficulty in reaching the job location.
5. When we tell about our day, i.e. how’s our day going so far:
   • I have had a great day.
6. It can be used with ‘to’ to show a requirement or obligation of doing something.
   • You have to perform the dance otherwise you will be disqualified.
   • I have to meet him before he moves to another city.
7. It also indicates a feeling, thought or desire:
   • I have a strong feeling that she is in trouble.

Key Differences Between Has and Have

The following points are substantial so far as the difference between has and have is concerned:

1. Have is an irregular verb, which can be used either as a main verb, i.e. action verb itself or as an auxiliary verb to form present perfect sentences using a past participle form of the verb. Conversely, Has is just another form of the verb ‘have’, used with third persons.
2. Has and Have denotes a simple present form of the verb have, wherein has is used singular nouns, i.e. teacher, child, judge, my mom, etc. On the other hand, have is used with plural nouns, i.e. teachers, parents, children, judges, etc.
3. Has is used with the pronouns, i.e. He, She, it, this, that, etc. Have is used with pronouns I, you, we, they, these, those, etc.
4. Examples: Have you ever dreamt of starting a new business.
   The company has allotted the work of marketing of the new product to the best marketing team.

Examples

Has

• Tanya has gone to Bengaluru, to find a good job.
• He has crossed all the limits.
• It has influenced me a lot.

Have

• I have a golden coloured pen.
• They have been to India many times.
• Have you got the joining letter?

How to remember the difference

Basically, there is only a subtle difference between has and have, as both are used in present perfect sentences. A simple and easy tip to memorize the difference is that, whenever you create sentences with I, you, we, they or any other plural noun, use ‘have’, whereas if you are making a sentence with he, she, it or any singular noun, use ‘has’.

Has vs. Have: What’s the Gist?

• Has is the third-person singular present form of to have. E.g., She has a cold.

• Have is the base form of the verb. It also functions as the first and second person singular present tense form. E.g., I have a cold.

Continue reading for a more in-depth discussion of these two conjugations.

Irregular verbs are one of the most confusing aspects of learning a new language. Buy, for instance, becomes bought in the simple past tense, while burst simply remains burst. How does that make sense?

For the purposes of this article, it doesn’t. English borrows heavily from Germanic and Romantic languages, and many of the conjugations retained from these languages seem strange in modern English. At any rate, these verbs don’t follow the same rules as regular English verbs, making them difficult to remember.

Have is one such irregular verb. In many tenses, it simply remains have, although in others it becomes has or had. If you aren’t sure whether to use have or has, you aren’t alone, and we’re here to help.

What is the Difference Between Has and Have?

In this post, I will discuss the differences between have and has. As always, I will be sure to include several example sentences to demonstrate their use in context.

I will also use a mnemonic device that will help you choose either has or have in a way that preserves subject-verb agreement.

How to Use Has

Has definition: Has is the third person singular present conjugation of the verb to have. Have is also used as an auxiliary verb.

Here are a few example sentences,

• “Do not share your drink with James; he has a nasty cold,” warned James’s mother.
• “Emma, the cat has your cheeseburger!” exclaimed Petrov.
• “This show has officially jumped the shark,” said the TV critic.

Since has is used in the third person singular, it will be paired with the pronouns he, she, and it.

How to Use Have

Have definition: Have is a verb. It means to possess something, and it is also used as an auxiliary verb.

Have is the first and second person singular present tense form of this verb, as well as the first, second, and third person present plural form.

See the example sentences below,

• “I have not yet begun to fight!” said the captain of the ship.
• “You have exactly five minutes before the whole space station self-destructs!” said the astronaut.
• “If Xavier has six apples, and Elgin has seven oranges, how many avocados do the Rolling Stones have?” asked Brittany’s math teacher.

Since have has more functions than has does, it is used with more pronouns.

• In the first and second person singular, have will be paired with I and you.
• In the first, second, and third person plural, have will be paired with we, you, and they.

Outside Examples of Has vs. Have

• For hours after Mr. Tillerson’s arrival in Moscow, it was unclear whether Mr. Putin would even meet with him because of the tense state of relations, which has have worsened just in the past few weeks. –The New York Times

• Jana Partners, the investor, encouraged the organic grocery chain to do a top-to-bottom reevaluation of its strategies and practices. Jana said it hoped to have discussions with Whole Foods management about everything from its real estate portfolio to customer analytics to inventory management and labor scheduling. –The Washington Post

• There has been speculation over the contract offer the Giants have on the table for defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who somewhat shockingly remains on the open market after finding no great demand for his services. –New York Post

Contractions From Has and Have

Both of these words are used to form contractions with the various English pronouns. Here is a quick list you can go to for reference.

Positive Contractions

• I have > I’ve
• You have > You’ve
• We have > We’ve
• They have > They’ve
• He has > He’s
• She has > She’s
• It has > It’s

Negative Contractions

• Has not > Hasn’t
• Have not > Haven’t
• Had not > Hadn’t

How to Remember These Conjugations

Have and has are two ways to conjugate the same verb, so it can be difficult to remember which is which.

• In the present tense, have is the first person singular and plural, second-person singular and plural, and third-person plural conjugation of this verb.
• Has is the third-person singular present tense.

The best way to learn the conjugations of irregular verbs is through memorization, but in the meantime, remember the phrase “Chaz has razzmatazz.” The internal rhyme should be a strong hook for has in the third person singular tense.

Summary

Is it has or have? Have is an irregular verb that means to possess.

• Has is the third-person singular present conjugation.
• Have is all the other present tense conjugations.

Both words are also used in the past and future tenses, and can both be used as helping verbs.

The phrase “Chaz has razzmatazz,” with its internal rhymes, will help you remember to use has in the third-person singular tense.

Any time you need a quick refresher on have vs. has, irregular verbs, conjugations, or other confusing writing topics, you can check this site for a refresher.