Do you have grammar troubles? We all do. Yes, even an English major will sometimes have trouble with the simplest of grammars. So, do not think that you are inadequate when you suddenly get confused with your native language.

In this article, we are going to touch on two of the most commonly used words in the English language ‘“ ‘has’ and ‘have’.
Both words are verbs, and they posses numerous meanings – such as, own, experience, consume, possess, and receive ‘“ just to name a few. They can be auxiliary verbs as well. As a fundamental rule, the singular verb is ‘has’ and its plural is ‘have’. Seemingly, ‘have’ is used more often than ‘has’, because ‘have’ is also used for the singular forms of the first and second person.

Example:

Singular form in the first person: “I have everything I wanted, but you.”
Singular form in the second person: “You have my heart, and it only beats for you.”

As you can see, even in singular forms, ‘have’ is still extensively used, since the ‘I’ and ‘You’ pronouns are naturally followed by the verb ‘have’. The only suitable way for a person to use the verb ‘has’, is for the third person.

Example:

Singular form in the third person: “He has the most beautiful smile.”
The ‘have’, however, is strictly used in all plural forms. First, second, or third person, it doesn’t matter at all. As long as it is plural, ‘have’ is the verb to be used.

Example:

Plural form in the first person: “We have all that we need.”
Plural form in the second person: “You have the budget.”
Plural form in the third person: “They have the most suitable approach.”

This principle works just about the same when one has to use ‘has’ and ‘have’ as an auxiliary verb. Coupled with the auxiliary verb ‘has’ or ‘have’, a past participle can serve as the main verb in a sentence. The expression of the action is now considered as a present-perfect tense.

Examples:

“He has changed the world.”
“She has broken the record.”
“You have tried your best.”
“We have created a monster.”

Summary:

1. ‘Has’ is a singular verb. ‘Have’ is plural.
2. ‘Have’ is more commonly used, because it can still be used suitably in singular forms. ‘Has’, on the other hand, is only used for the singular third person.

source: https://web.facebook.com/forum9ja/posts/1467009713360824

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