GramifyLearn
BeginnerVerbs

Learn Have / Has for Possession in English

Use have and has to talk about possession and personal characteristics.

Learning goal
Recognize and use this pattern in context.
Practice
10 randomized questions with explanations.
Suggested workflow
Study the examples, then take the quiz.

Grammar Focus

Have and has are two forms of the same verb. We use them to talk about possession (things we own), personal characteristics (physical features), relationships, and experiences. Understanding when to use each form is one of the first steps to speaking English correctly.

  • Use have with I, you, we, they: "I have a car."
  • Use has with he, she, it: "She has a new phone."
  • Use have / has for possession: "They have a big house."
  • Use have / has for personal characteristics: "He has blue eyes."
  • Use have / has for relationships: "We have two children."
  • In negatives, use don't have or doesn't have: "She doesn't have a dog."
  • In questions, use Do you have...? or Does she have...?

Form & Structure

Affirmative

I/You/We/They + have | He/She/It + has
I have a younger sister.
She has long brown hair.
They have a beautiful garden.

Negative

I/You/We/They + don't have | He/She/It + doesn't have
I don't have a car — I cycle everywhere.
He doesn't have any brothers or sisters.
We don't have enough time to finish.

Questions

Do + I/you/we/they + have? | Does + he/she/it + have?
Do you have a pen I can borrow?
Does she have a driving licence?
Do they have any pets at home?

Common Mistakes

Using have instead of has with he/she/it

She have a new laptop.
She has a new laptop.

Tip: When the subject is he, she, or it, always use has — never have.

Using has instead of have in negatives with he/she/it

He doesn't has a car.
He doesn't have a car.

Tip: After doesn't, always use the base form have — never has.

Forgetting does in third-person questions

Do she have a sister?
Does she have a sister?

Tip: With he, she, or it, use does at the start of the question, not do.

Why This Grammar Matters

Describing what you own

“I have a bicycle but I don't have a car.”
“She has a large apartment near the city centre.”

Talking about physical appearance

“He has dark hair and green eyes.”
“My grandmother has a warm, kind smile.”

Describing family and relationships

“Do you have any siblings?”
“They have three children — two boys and a girl.”

Talking about feelings and conditions

“I have a headache — do you have any aspirin?”
“She doesn't have enough energy to go out tonight.”