have

I [[t]həv, STRONG hæv[/t]] AUXILIARY VERB USES

♦

has, having, had

(In spoken English, forms of have are often shortened, for example I have is shortened to I've and has not is shortened to hasn't.)

1) AUX You use the forms have and has with a past participle to form the present perfect tense of verbs.

[AUX -ed] Alex has already gone...

[AUX -ed] I've just seen a play that I can highly recommend...

[AUX -ed] My term hasn't finished yet...

[AUX -ed] What have you found so far?...

[AUX -ed] This is something which you might have forgotten...

[AUX been -ing] Frankie hasn't been feeling well for a long time.

2) AUX You use the form had with a past participle to form the past perfect tense of verbs.

[AUX -ed] When I met her, she had just returned from a job interview...

[AUX -ed] By Friday at 5:30 p.m., I still hadn't heard from Lund...

[AUX -ed] Miss Windham said she had spoken to them over the weekend.

3) AUX Have is used in question tags.

[cl AUX n] You haven't sent her away, have you?...

[cl AUX n] It's happened, hasn't it?...

[cl AUX n] They hadn't invented sequencers back in those days, had they?

4) AUX You use have when you are confirming or contradicting a statement containing `have', `has', or `had', or answering a question.

[AUX] `You'd never seen the Marilyn Monroe film?' - `No I hadn't.'...

[AUX] `Have you been to York before?' - `Yes we have.'

5) AUX The form having with a past participle can be used to introduce a clause in which you mention an action which had already happened before another action began.

[AUX -ed] He arrived in San Francisco, having left New Jersey on January 19th...

[AUX -ed] Having been told by his doctor that he was overweight, he's eating all the fibre and fruit he can.

II [[t]hæ̱v[/t]] USED WITH NOUNS DESCRIBING ACTIONS

♦

has, having, had

(Have is used in combination with a wide range of nouns, where the meaning of the combination is mostly given by the noun.)

1) VERB: no passive You can use have followed by a noun to talk about an action or event, when it would be possible to use the same word as a verb. For example, you can say `I had a look at the photos' instead of `I looked at the photos.'

[V n] I went out and had a walk around...

[V n] She rested for a while, then had a wash and changed her clothes...

[V n] I'll have a think about that...

[V n] Sit down and have a good cry...

[V n] They were having a long wait for someone to serve them.

2) VERB: no passive In normal spoken or written English, people use have with a wide range of nouns to talk about actions and events, often instead of a more specific verb. For example people are more likely to say `we had ice cream' or `he's had a shock' than `we ate ice cream', or `he's suffered a shock'.

[V n] Come and have a meal with us tonight...

[V n] We will be having a meeting to decide what to do...

[V n] She had an operation on her knee at the clinic...

[V n] His visit had a great effect on them.

III [[t]hæ̱v[/t]] OTHER VERB USES AND PHRASES

♦

has, having, had

(For meanings 1-4, people often use have got in spoken British English or have gotten in spoken American English, instead of have. In this case, have is pronounced as an auxiliary verb. For more information and examples of the use of `have got' and `have gotten', see got.)

1) VERB: no passive You use have to say that someone or something owns a particular thing, or when you are mentioning one of their qualities or characteristics.

[V n] Oscar had a new bicycle...

[V n] I want to have my own business...

[V n] She had no job and no money...

[V n] You have beautiful eyes...

[V n] Her house had a balcony...

[V n] Do you have any brothers and sisters?...

[V n] I have a good friend who's a teacher...

[V n] I have no doubt at all in my own mind about this...

[V n] I just had a feeling that it was Santero on the telephone...

[V n adv/prep] Have you any valuables anywhere else in the house?...

[V n adv/prep] I have my microphone with me.

2) VERB: no passive If you have something to do, you are responsible for doing it or must do it.

[V n to-inf] He had plenty of work to do...

[V n to-inf] I have some important calls to make.

3) VERB: no passive You can use have instead of `there is' to say that something exists or happens. For example, you can say `you have no alternative' instead of `there is no alternative', or `he had a good view from his window' instead of `there was a good view from his window'.

[V n] He had two tenants living with him...

[V n] We haven't any shops on the island...

[V n] First we had clock-radios, now there's the clock-radio-telephone...

[V n] You have a lot of people that are very upset with what happened.

4) VERB: no passive If you have something such as a part of your body in a particular position or state, it is in that position or state.

[V n adj/adv/prep] Mary had her eyes closed...

[V n adj/adv/prep] They had the curtains open...

[V n adj/adv/prep] He had his shirt buttoned...

[V n adj/adv/prep] As I was working, I had the radio on...

[V n adj/adv/prep] He had his hand on Maria's shoulder.

5) VERB: no passive If you have something done, someone does it for you or you arrange for it to be done.

[V n -ed] I had your rooms cleaned and aired...

[V n -ed] They had him killed...

[V n -ed] You've had your hair cut, it looks great...

[V n -ed] I don't think most nine-year-olds have their teeth brushed.

6) VERB: no passive If someone has something unpleasant happen to them, it happens to them.

[V n -ed] We had our money stolen...

[V n -ed] The dance hall once even had its roof blown off in World War II.

7) VERB: no passive If you have someone do something, you persuade, cause, or order them to do it.

[V n inf] If you happen to talk to him, have him call me...

[V n inf] The bridge is not as impressive as some guides would have you believe...

[V n -ing] Mr Gower had had us all working so hard.

8) VERB: no passive If someone has you by a part of your body, they are holding you there and they are trying to hurt you or force you to go somewhere.

[V n by n] When the police came, Larry had him by the ear and was beating his head against the pavement.

9) VERB: no passive If you have something from someone, they give it to you.

[V n] You can have my ticket...

[V n] Can I have your name please?...

[V n] We have had some help from the Government...

[V n] I had comments from people in all age groups.

10) VERB: no passive If you have an illness or disability, you suffer from it.

[V n] I had a headache...

[V n] He might be having a heart attack...

[V n] She has epilepsy.

11) VERB: no passive If a woman has a baby, she gives birth to it. If she is having a baby, she is pregnant.

[V n] My wife has just had a baby boy...

[V n] She's having another baby.

12) VERB: with neg You can use have in expressions such as `I won't have it' or `I'm not having that', to mean that you will not allow or put up with something.

[V n] She wanted to be alone. They wouldn't have it...

[V n] I'm not having any of that nonsense...

[V n -ing] I will not have the likes of you dragging down my reputation.

13) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR that (vagueness) You can use has it in expressions such as `rumour has it that' or `as legend has it' when you are quoting something that you have heard, but you do not necessarily think it is true.

Rumour has it that tickets were being sold for ₤300...

He could not possibly have been poisoned as popular legend has it.

14) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If someone has it in for you, they do not like you and they want to make life difficult for you. [INFORMAL]

He's always had it in for the Dawkins family.

15) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR pron, oft PHR pron to-inf If you have it in you, you have abilities and skills which you do not usually use and which only show themselves in a difficult situation.

`You were brilliant!' he said. `I didn't know you had it in you.'...

He has it in him to succeed.

16) PHR-RECIP: V inflects, PHR with n, pl-n V To have it off with someone or have it away with someone means to have sex with them. [BRIT, INFORMAL, RUDE]

He reckons she's having it off with the gardener.

17) PHRASE: be inflects If you are having someone on, you are pretending that something is true when it is not true, for example as a joke or in order to tease them. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

Malone's eyes widened. `You're having me on, Liam.'

Syn:

pull someone's leg

18) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with n If you have it out or have things out with someone, you discuss a problem or disagreement very openly with them, even if it means having an argument, because you think this is the best way to solve the problem.

Why not have it out with your critic, discuss the whole thing face to face?

19) to be had → see had

to have had it → see had

IV [[t]hæ̱v, hæ̱f[/t]] MODAL PHRASES

♦

has, having, had

1) PHR-MODAL You use have to when you are saying that something is necessary or required, or must happen. If you do not have to do something, it is not necessary or required.

He had to go to Germany...

We'll have to find a taxi...

You have to be careful what you say on telly...

They didn't have to pay tax.

Syn:

must

2) PHR-MODAL You can use have to in order to say that you feel certain that something is true or will happen.

There has to be some kind of way out...

That has to be the biggest lie ever told.

Syn:

must