Understanding the Meaning of Have, Has, and Had and How to Use Them in Example Sentences

Kapanlagi.com - In general, the terms have, has, and had are already quite familiar. For laypeople who are just learning, the meaning of have is understood as having or owning. However, in reality, the word can also have other meanings.

For example, when the word been is added to the sentence, the meaning of have, has, and had becomes 'already'. It is things like this that sometimes confuse beginners.

Therefore, it is important for you to understand the usage of have, has, and had. Through the explanation of the meaning of have below, you will also get examples in sentences.

1. The Meaning of Have, Has, and Had

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People who are just learning English often feel confused about the meaning of have, has, or had in a sentence. This is normal because have has at least three different meanings, depending on the other words that follow it. For example, you can find a sentence that contains 'have' with the meaning of 'own', it can also mean 'has', or even 'must'.

Have, has, and had are part of the perfect tense. These terms have two functions, as main verbs and auxiliary verbs. As a main verb, the meaning of have can be understood as having, owning, and possessing.

Meanwhile, have/has/had as auxiliary verbs function like is, are, do, does, and others. These terms require a main verb to complete the sentence. Furthermore, you also need to understand that the perfect tense is still divided into two more.

First, have and has as markers of actions that have occurred in the past with a clear time or are still ongoing until now. Second is the past perfect tense which indicates that the action has already been completed before another action occurred.

As a beginner, understanding the meaning of have in a sentence can be difficult. If you already understand its usage, you will easily interpret have in a sentence.

2. The Use of Have, Has, and Had

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As explained above, the meanings of have, has, and had can vary depending on the word that follows them. One thing to remember is that have and has can be used when talking about a past action without a clear time marker or an action that started in the past and continues to the present. Complicated? Not really. You just need to pay attention to the following explanations about the various uses of have, has, and had.

1. Basic Formula

You need to know that have, has, and had are always followed by the past participle of the main verb (have/has/had+verb3).

- Have is used when the subject of the sentence is I, you, they, or we.

- Has is used if the subject of the sentence is she, he, or it.

- Had is used as a past tense version of have/has. So, you can use it for subjects I, you, they, we, she, he, and it.

3. Example Sentences

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1. Has/have which means to possess

Has/have which means to possess is marked by the presence of a noun phrase in front of has/have, for example:

- I have a pencil (I possess a pencil; pencil is a noun)

- She has a ticket for the concert tonight (she possesses a ticket for the concert tonight; ticket is a noun)

- Sinta has a beautiful flower (Sinta possesses a beautiful flower)

- I don't have a lot of books (I don't possess a lot of books)

2. Has/have which means to have done

Has or have which means to have done is used in perfect tenses. These tenses are used to explain activities that have ended but still have a connection to the present. The characteristic is that has/have is always followed by a verb in the third form.

- I have finished my homework (I have done my homework)

- She has eaten satay three times (she has eaten satay three times; eaten is the third form of eat)

- They have lived in Bali since 1987 (they have lived in Bali since 1987; lived is the third form of live)

- The teacher has taught English up to present times (the teacher has taught English up to present times)

- My father and my mother have worked as doctors since 1986 (my father and my mother have worked as doctors since 1986)

3. Has/have which means to must

Has/have to means 'must' when combined with 'to' followed by a base verb, which is has to/have to + v. Actually, the linguistic explanation is not like that. However, to make it easier to learn, follow the formula that if there is have/has followed by 'to', it means 'must'.

- I have to finish my homework now

- You have to wash the car before playing a game

- We have to go to school

- She doesn't have to wear a uniform to school

Well, KLovers, that's an explanation of the meaning of have, has, and had along with examples of their use in daily life.

(kpl/gen/ans)