“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 Main Verb vs Helping Verb
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence 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 Main Verb vs Helping Verb
Choose the correct options for the gaps in these sentences.
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 Main Verb vs Helping Verb
Rewrite the second part of the sentence without repeating the verb or verb phrase. Include ‘to’ when it is required. Don’t include ‘to’ when it can be dropped.
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 .