Anglo-Link 23 How to use ‘To Have’

To Have

1.  To possess

2.  'Have to' to indicate an external obligation

3. To eat / drink / take etc.

4.  Causative 'have': Causing an action to take place

5.  As an auxiliary for a Perfect Tense

 

 

I. To possess

Use the full form, not the contracted form.

I have a car.

She has three children .

We have an idea.

He had a cold.

Note: You can add the word 'got' without changing the meaning. If you add 'got', it is better to use the contraction.

I have a car. = I've got a car.

 

2. 'Have to' lo indicate an external obligation

Use the fall form, not the contacted form.

You have to complete this form.

He has to resign.

We have to stop at a red light.

She had to work last weekend.

Note:You can add the word 'got' without changing the meaning. If you add 'got', it is better to use the contraction.

He has to resign. = He's got to resign.

 

3. To cat / drink / take etc.

Use the full form, not the contracted form.

We had dinner early.

She has a cup of tea every morning.

Let's have a break.

Have a seat please.

Note:You cannot add the word 'got' when the meaning is not possession or obligation.

 

4. Causative 'have': Causing an action to take place

Use the full form, not the contracted form.

Active:   To have someone do something

Passive: To have something done

Active:   I have the garage service my car once a year.

Passive:  I have my car serviced once a year.

Active:   He had a gardener cut the grass last week.

Passive:  He had the grass cut last week.

Active:   I will have my assistant send you a copy.

Passive:  I will have a copy sent to you.

Note:You cannot add the word 'got' in this context but you can use the verb 'to get' instead of 'to have' to express the same idea.

Note:

I will have my assistant send you a copy. =I will get my assistant to send you a copy.

I will have a copy sent to you. = I will get a copy sent to you.

 

5. As an auxiliary for a Perfect Tense

Use the contracted form in spoken English and the full form in written English.

We've (have) started.

Its (has) arrived.

I've (have) been waiting for a long time.

They'd (had) seen it before.

 

Formulation of negatives and questions in the Present and Past Simple Tenses

When 'to have' is the main verb, used in its full form, treat it as any other main verb and use 'do', 'does', and 'did':

I have a car.

I don't have a car.

Do I have a car?

He has to resign.

He doesn't have to resign.

Does he have to resign?

We had dinner early.

We didn't have dinner early.

Did we have dinner early?

He had the grass cut.

He didn't have the grass cut.

Did he have the grass cut?

 

When 'to have' is followed by 'got' or is the auxiliary of a Perfect Tense, then use direct negative and question forms:

We've got to complete this form.

We haven't got to complete this form.

Have we got to complete this form?

She's got three children.

She hasn't got three children.

Has she got three children?

They'd seen it before.

They hadn't seen it before.

Had they seen it before?