Introduction
We need a language for the sole purpose of communicating, expressing our thoughts, and sharing our ideas with others. The vital significance of communication is pointed out by Nat Turner in his quote “Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity”. So it becomes very necessary to learn English grammar in order to achieve proper and efficient communication between people. It teaches us the correct way to form and interpret sentences and words in our speech.
While framing sentences, we use various components or parts of speech. Among them, verbs are used to convey an action or a state of existence by the subject. Because of their important function, verbs render a proper meaning to the sentences. So it becomes very necessary to learn the rules of English grammar in order to use the different forms of verbs correctly in our speech.
Some of the most commonly used verbs are ‘has’ and ‘have’ which are different forms of the verb ‘to have’. They are mostly used as auxiliary verbs along with other verbs in a sentence, but they have other uses also. Due to having the same origin and being very similar in nature, their usage becomes very confusing. It must be noted that both these verbs have very distinct differences which we will be discussing in this article.
Has vs Have
‘Has’ and ‘Have’ are the two forms of the verb ‘to have’ which means possessing or having ownership of something. It also means to experience something. Both forms are used to denote possession in the present tense. Which form to use depends on the point of view while framing a sentence. The most important difference is that ‘has’ is used while talking in the third person perspective about a singular object. On the other hand, ‘have’ is used while talking in first person and second person perspective and also with third person plural form.
Difference Between Has and Have in Tabular Form
| Parameters of comparison | Has | Have |
| Use with Pronouns | It is used with singular subject pronouns like he, she, it, etc. | It is used with pronouns like I, you, they, etc. |
| Use with Nouns | It is used with singular nouns like teacher, soldier, boy, candle, etc. | It is used with plural nouns like teachers, soldiers, boys, candles, etc. |
| Application | It is used only while talking in the third person singular. | It can be used while talking in the first-person, second-person, and third-person plural forms of speech. |
| Verb type | It is usually used as an auxiliary verb or main verb in a sentence. | It is used as an auxiliary verb or main verb depending on the context of the sentence. |
| Example | He has a car.Ankita has two sons and a daughter.He often has his meal at cafes. | They have a car.I have a good-looking son who goes to school.I prefer to have an omelet with coffee. |
What is ‘Has’?
‘Has’ is a form of the verb ‘to have’ which implies possession or experience of something. It is the present form of the verb used talking in the third person singular perspective. It is used to denote an activity that has been done by the subject at one point in their life. ‘Has’ is used along with singular nouns or singular subject pronouns like he, she, it, etc.
Uses of ‘Has’
It is used as an auxiliary verb along with another main verb in the sentence, or sometimes even as a main verb in the sentence. It has various uses in the English language. Some of these are as follows:
It is used to denote the ownership or holding of something by someone. It describes the possession of the object by the subject in the sentence. Some examples are:
- Pragna has earned a prize.
- He has a big house in Kolkata.
- The bike has a very aerodynamic shape which helps it gain high speeds.
It is used to describe the relationship between two people or objects. Some examples are:
- Ankita has two sons and a daughter.
- Ramesh has two brothers.
- Lily has four younger brothers in her family.
It is to denote the consumption of something by the subject. Some examples are:
- Rohan sometimes has sandwiches for lunch.
- Sheetal always has a glass of milk before going to bed.
- He often has his meal at cafes.
It is used along with ‘to’ to display an onus. Some examples are:
- Dev has to secure a good job for the sake of his family.
- He has to bear the cost of repairing the bike.
- The prime minister has to develop an economic plan for the prosperity of her country.
It is used along with the third form of the verb (past participle of the verb) while talking in the present perfect tense. Some examples are:
- Ram has called the office four times today.
- She has been dancing all this while.
- Drake has been working this whole season.
What is ‘Have’?
Have is a form of the verb ‘to have’ which implies owning or possessing something. It is the present form of the verb which is used while talking about oneself in first person perspective, talking directly to someone in second person perspective, or talking in third person plural perspective.
Uses of ‘Have’
It is an irregular verb that is used as an auxiliary verb or a main verb depending on the context of the sentence. ‘Have’ can be used with singular as well as plural pronouns like I, they, you, etc. unlike ‘has’ which can be used only with singular pronouns. It can also be used as an infinitive in a sentence. It has various uses in the English language. Some of these are as follows:
It is used to indicate the possession, ownership, or holding of something by the subject of the sentence. Some examples are
- I have a car which is red in color.
- They have the right to sell the plot of land.
- The Johnsons have a dream to become the richest family in the UK.
It is used along with the third form of the verb (past participle of the verb) while talking in the present perfect tense. Some examples are
- I have taken part in the story writing contest.
- They have visited Srinagar twice.
- You have given him the wrong present.
It is used to denote the consumption of something by the subject. Some examples are
- I would like to have sandwiches for lunch.
- Would you like to have tea or coffee?
- I prefer to have an omelet with coffee.
It is used while expressing an experience in a sentence. Some examples are:
- I have worked very hard to win this trophy.
- You will have to face no difficulty in finding the location.
- They have suffered a lot all these years.
It is used along with ‘to’ to display an onus by the subject. Some examples are:
- We all have to abide by the laws of the state.
- I have to submit the documents by tomorrow.
- You have to pay the dues by Sunday.
Main Differences Between ‘Has’ and ‘Have’ (In Points)
- ‘Has’ is used while talking in the third person perspective about a singular person or object. On the other hand, ‘Have’ is used while talking about oneself in the first person perspective, talking directly to someone in the second person perspective, or talking in the third person plural perspective.
- ‘Has’ is used along with singular subject pronouns like he, she, it, etc. ‘Have’ can be used with singular as well as plural pronouns like I, they, you, etc.
- ‘Has’ is used with singular nouns like teacher, soldier, boy, candle, etc. ‘Have’ is used with plural nouns like teachers, soldiers, boys, candles, etc.
- While talking about a group of people, a collective unit, we use ‘Has’. On the other hand, while talking about a general group as a collection of individual units, we use ‘Have’. Some examples are:
- The team has won the championship five times in a row. (here team refers to a single collective unit)
- The media have been blamed for provoking violence in many states. (here media refers to the collection of individuals.)
- We use ‘Have’ instead of ‘Has’ along with modal verbs like should, could, would, etc. in a sentence.
- ‘Hasn’t’ is used with singular nouns and pronouns like he, she, it, etc., and ‘Haven’t’ can be used with singular as well as plural nouns and pronouns like I, you, they, etc.
- We use ‘Have’ instead of ‘Has’ after the verb ‘to do’ (its various forms like do, did, does) as it requires the root form of the verb to be used. Example: He said he does have a plan.
- The word ‘Has’ has three letters while the word ‘Have’ has four letters in it.
Conclusion
It is very necessary to learn English grammar in order to achieve proper and efficient communication between people. It helps us learn the correct way to form and interpret sentences and words in our speech. Among the parts of speech, verbs prove to be very essential as they describe the performance or occurrence of an activity. ‘Has’ and ‘Have’ are the two forms of the verb ‘to have’ which are greatly used in communicating every day. Though they might look very similar, there are ample differences between the two in terms of the rules which apply to them when used in sentences. So it becomes very important to learn these dissimilarities in order to avoid making mistakes while communicating.
‘Has’ and ‘Have’ are both present forms of the verb ‘to have’ which means to own, hold, or experience something. We use ‘Has’ while talking in the third-person perspective about a singular person or object. On the other hand, we use ‘Have’ while talking about ourselves in the first person perspective, talking directly to someone in the second person perspective, or talking in the third person plural perspective. ‘Has’ is used along with singular nouns and pronouns while ‘Have’ can be used along with singular as well as plural nouns and pronouns. These are some of the vital differences between the two. Constantly practicing and applying the above rules can help one gain a strong hold over English grammar. Ultimately it helps a person communicate fluently.
References
- https://wordpress.lehigh.edu/rcbc-blog/2021/03/10/good-communication-is-the-bridge-between-confusion-and-clarity-nat-turner/
- https://www.englishgrammar.org/
- https://www.thesaurus.com/
