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The verb to have · Conjugation

Present Simple of have

The answer: have / has

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Quick answer

The Present Simple of the verb to have is have / has.

Example: I have a brother. She has blue eyes.

Full conjugation in the Present Simple

PronounFormContraction
IhaveI've
YouhaveYou've
He / She / IthasHe's / She's / It's
WehaveWe've
You (pl.)haveYou've
TheyhaveThey've

Common mistakes to avoid

1. He have ❌

With he, she and it, have becomes has. Say He has a car and She has blue eyes, never he have or she have.

2. He haves ❌

Have never takes -s in the third person. Its form is irregular: has, and nothing else. He haves is a typical beginner's mistake.

3. Have you a pen? ❌

Two questions are correct: Do you have a pen? (used everywhere, typical of American English) and Have you got a pen? (British, spoken). But Have you a pen? without got is very old-fashioned: avoid it.

Practice quiz

Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank

Complete the sentence: She _____ a beautiful garden.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate have in the present simple?+

Have has two forms in the Present Simple: have with I, you, we and they (I have), and has with he, she and it (she has). It is one of the few verbs that does not just add -s in the third person: has, not haves.

When do you use have and when do you use has?+

Use have with I, you, we, they and all plural nouns: my parents have, the cats have. Use has with he, she, it and all singular nouns: my brother has, the dog has, John has.

What is the difference between I have and I've got?+

For things you own, there is no difference in meaning: I have a brother = I've got a brother. Have got is more common in British English and in speech. Have is used everywhere, and more often in writing and in American English.

How do you make questions and negatives with have?+

When have is the main verb, use do or does: Do you have a pen? She doesn't have time. With have got, put have before the subject: Have you got a pen? She hasn't got time. Both patterns are correct.

Do you say I have or I am for age?+

Use I have or I've got for things you own: I have two brothers. But for age, hunger and thirst, English uses be, not have: I am 15, I am hungry, I am thirsty.

Related pages: have Present Simple

Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.

Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →

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More forms of the verb to have are coming soon.