 ‘Has’ vs ‘Had’
Sentences are language expressions that use words which are grouped meaningfully to express a statement, question, exclamation, request, command, or suggestion. It is composed of a clause or two or more clauses containing a subject which is usually a noun phrase and a predicate which is a verb phrase.
A verb phrase contains a verb which is a word that conveys action or state of being and is usually modified or changed according to tense, aspect, mood, and voice. It must agree with its subject or object. It shows this agreement in the third person singular present tense forms of verbs that are added with ‘s’ to form its regular form.
Verbs can be ‘intransitive,’ which means that it only has one subject, or ‘transitive,’ which means that it has a subject and a direct object. Verbs are flexible, though, and an intransitive verb can take an object and become transitive while a transitive verb can drop its object and become intransitive.
‘Has’ is a transitive verb because it requires a direct subject and one or more objects. It is the third person singular present tense of the verb ‘have.’ For example, in the sentence: ‘Jane has pimples,’ ‘pimples’ is the direct object of ‘has.’ It came from the Middle English word ‘haven’ or ‘habben,’ from the Old English ‘habban’ which is similar to the word ‘heave.’ It is synonymous with the word ‘own,’ which means ‘to have full rights of a thing or property,’ ‘possess,’ which means ‘control and occupation of a large holding.’ Also, ‘occupy,’ which means ‘to hold and use,’ and ‘hold’ which means to have in one’s control or grasp.
Examples:
1. He has a dog.
2. He has a huge house.
3. She has a pen in her hand.
4. She likes him, but she has a boyfriend.
5. The cat has the mouse by the neck.
‘Has’ can also be used with a past participle to form the perfect tense like in the sentence: ‘He has gone.’ It can also be used in a verb phrase and idioms.
‘Had,’ on the other hand, is the past tense of the transitive verb ‘has.’ It is the third person singular past tense and past participle of the verb ‘have.’ It is synonymous with the word ‘taken,’ which means ‘deceived’ like in the sentence: ‘He has been had.’
Other examples:
1. She has a cat.
2. He had a dog but it died.
3. He has a nice car.
4. She had a nice car, but it was wrecked.
5. He has her by the hand.
Summary:
1. ‘Has’ is the third person singular present tense of ‘have’ while ‘had’ is the third person singular past tense and past participle of ‘have.’
2. Both are transitive verbs, but ‘has’ is used in sentences that talk about the present while ‘had’ is used in sentences that talk about the past.
3. ‘Has’ is synonymous with the words: own, possess, occupy, and hold while ‘had’ is synonymous with the word ‘taken.’
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I value the blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Great.
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To use the house of representatives “had” finally approved. The word “had” in sentence is it correct?
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Very clear. Examples are nice. Thanks a lot.
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good one.
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Yes , but perfect one also
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Nice =D helped a lot
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Finally I understand 😀
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Mee too
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Perfect
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Nice explaination
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Great!!
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Really very valuable and good explanation
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Thank you so much! I want to practice using proper grammar more often.
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very nice blog, keep it up 🙂 btw i dont have any blogs.haha
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Very Clear. Good one.
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I do not understand.because i expect only for patern not for examples
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It really cure my college time curse. Now am fine with has and had.
Thank you for using the easiest way of teaching.
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Great
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Thanks a lot…now I understand better than before
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Helpful
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In recent years, the community (has/had) seen a rise in volunteerism.
When to use which?
I gut feeling is that “has seen” would mean it’s still happening, while “had seen” means it’s in the past and no longer happening?
Is that correct?
Oh, and what about: She has had enough!
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Nice
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God Bless U
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Well,,,I have also cleared out my doubt.i would like to give Kudo’s to the blog.
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great
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Hi everybody,
I need some one who can help me to learn english.
Many thanks.
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Thank you
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Is sentence “4. She had a nice car, but it was wrecked.” correct, or should be used “has”?
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Now I understeand why is used “had”, but I still don’t understeand, why it was wrecked in this meaning, with use “had”.
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