“Have” as a Main Verb vs a Helping (Auxiliary) Verb
B2 • Pre-Advanced
form • meaning • pitfalls
Big picture
- Main verb — carries meaning (possess, experience, take, get something done). Negatives & questions use do-support.
- Helping verb — builds perfect tenses, perfect infinitives, and modal perfects. Here, have inverts and contracts.
- Have (got) — BrE pattern for possession in the present only.
Have as a main verb: possession / states
| Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| do/does/did + subject + have (questions) don’t/doesn’t/didn’t + have (negatives) |
Do you have time? I didn’t have cash. |
| Past = had; stative → normally no continuous | I’ve had this watch for years. ✖ I’m having a car (possession) |
AmE prefers Do you have…? for possession. BrE also uses Have you got…? (see below).
Have with lexical meanings (dynamic → continuous OK)
- take — have a shower / a drink / lunch / a rest
- give — have a party / have a go
- experience/enjoy — have fun / have a great time
- encounter — have trouble / have difficulties
- We’re having dinner at 8.
- She had a wonderful weekend.
Have to = obligation (external rules)
| Meaning | Notes & examples |
|---|---|
| Necessity from rules, schedules, authority | We have to wear an ID badge. You won’t have to pay again. (lack of necessity) |
| Grammar | Use do-support for questions/negatives: Did you have to wait? • We don’t have to leave. |
Have to (external obligation) vs must (speaker’s strong view). In the past use had to; musted doesn’t exist.
Causative: have + object + past participle
“Arrange for someone else to do it” or “something happened to us”.
- I have my hair cut every month.
- They had their car stolen.
- We’re having the kitchen painted. (progressive is fine)
Informal alternative: get + object + past participle → Where did you get your phone repaired?
Auxiliary use: have got (present possession, chiefly BrE)
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Affirmative | I’ve got two brothers. |
| Negative | I haven’t got a ticket. (= I don’t have a ticket.) |
| Question | Have you got a minute? |
Have got is limited to the present. Use didn’t have / won’t have for other tenses. Fixed BrE set phrases may drop got: I haven’t a clue.
Auxiliary use: the perfect system
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present perfect (simple/continuous) | have/has + V-ed / have/has been + V-ing | She has finished. • We’ve been waiting for hours. |
| Past perfect | had + V-ed / had been + V-ing | They had left before dark. |
| Future perfect | will have + V-ed / will have been + V-ing | By June we will have completed Phase 1. |
As an auxiliary, have inverts and contracts: Have you finished? • I’ve finished. • She hasn’t finished.
Perfect infinitive & modal perfects
- to have + V-ed — prior time: Glad to have met you.
- modal + have + V-ed — deduction/judgement in the past: He must have forgotten. / You can’t have seen her. / They may have taken the wrong bus.
Have got to (informal obligation)
Often used for specific immediate obligations; present only.
- I’ve got to call the client now.
- We’ve got to leave by 6.
Equivalent to have to in meaning; less formal than must.
Common pitfalls
- ✖ Have you a car? (BrE formal only). ✔ Do you have a car? / Have you got a car?
- ✖ Continuous with stative possession: I’m having a car. ✔ I have a car.
- ✖ Past of must for obligation. ✔ Use had to: I had to leave early.
- ✖ I didn’t had. ✔ I didn’t have.
- ✖ Using have got outside the present. ✔ We had to pay yesterday.
Varieties & style
- BrE allows: Have you got…? • I haven’t a clue.
- AmE prefers: Do you have…? • I don’t have a clue.
- Formal writing avoids double auxiliaries with have got; use plain have: Do you have any questions?
Rule of thumb: if have carries meaning → treat it like a normal verb with do-support. If it builds a perfect → it behaves like an auxiliary (inversion + contractions).
Exercises:
“Have” as a helping verb vs a main verb
Choose the correct form of have to complete the sentences below.
1
She
already called the client.
2
My grandparents
a large garden behind the house.
3
Can I call you later? We
dinner with clients.
4
You
to wear a helmet in this area.
5
I
been working on the report all morning.
6
We’ll
the windows cleaned tomorrow morning.
7
They
never been to Canada.
8
He
a terrible headache yesterday.
9
you finished the draft yet?
10
She
three meetings so far this week.
“Have” as a helping verb vs a main verb
Choose the correct form of have for each gap below.
1
I ____ already seen that film.
A.
B.
C.
2
____ you got a minute to talk?
A.
B.
C.
3
He ____ never been to Japan.
A.
B.
C.
4
They ____ dinner when I called, so they didn’t answer.
A.
B.
C.
5
By the time we arrived, she ____ already left.
A.
B.
C.
6
I don’t ____ any cash on me.
A.
B.
C.
7
How long ____ you had this car?
A.
B.
C.
8
She ____ to cancel the meeting because of illness.
A.
B.
C.
9
We ____ our roof repaired next week.
A.
B.
C.
10
I ____ a shower at 7 a.m. every day.
A.
B.
C.
“Have” as a helping verb vs a main verb
Transform the sentences using a form of have so that they have the same meaning as the sentences before. Do NOT use short forms
1
Original: She finished the report.
Transform: She the report.
2
Original: The film started before we arrived.
Transform: By the time we arrived, the film .
3
Original: He will complete the task by Friday.
Transform: He the task by Friday.
4
Original: They own two apartments.
Transform: They two apartments.
5
Original: It is necessary for me to leave now.
Transform: I leave now.
6
Original: A mechanic serviced my car yesterday.
Transform: I yesterday.
7
Original: This is the best coffee I tried.
Transform: This is the best coffee I .
8
Original: She started studying at seven and is still studying now.
Transform: She since seven.
9
Original: Please look at this file.
Transform: Please at this file.
10
Original: We will send all invoices by this afternoon.
Transform: By this afternoon, all invoices .