“Has” and “have” are both forms of the verb “to have,” but they are used in different ways depending on the subject of the sentence. In general, “has” is used with the third person singular subjects, while “have” is used with first person, second person, and third person plural subjects.
Let’s start with “has.” “Has” is used with third person singular subjects, which include he, she, it, or a singular noun. For example:
- “She has a dog.” (third person singular subject “she”)
- “He has a job interview tomorrow.” (third person singular subject “he”)
- “The car has a flat tire.” (third person singular subject “the car”)
In each of these examples, “has” is used to agree with the singular subject of the sentence.
On the other hand, “have” is used with first person, second person, and third person plural subjects. Here are some examples:
- “We have a meeting at noon.” (first person plural subject “we”)
- “You have an excellent sense of humor.” (second person singular or plural subject “you”)
- “They have three children.” (third person plural subject “they”)
In each of these examples, “have” is used to agree with a plural subject.
It’s important to note that there are some exceptions to this general rule. For example, with collective nouns like “team” or “family,” the usage of “has” versus “have” may vary depending on the dialect or context of the sentence. In some dialects of English, collective nouns may be treated as singular or plural, which affects the choice of “has” versus “have.” For example:
- “The team has won three games in a row.” (collective noun treated as singular)
- “The team have been practicing hard for the tournament.” (collective noun treated as plural)
Additionally, the choice between “has” and “have” can depend on the tense of the verb and the subject-verb agreement. For example, “I have eaten breakfast” is in the present perfect tense and uses “have” with a first person singular subject “I,” while “He had eaten breakfast” is in the past perfect tense and uses “had” with a third person singular subject “he.”
In summary, “has” is used with third person singular subjects, while “have” is used with first person, second person, and third person plural subjects. However, there are some exceptions to this general rule, particularly with collective nouns, and the choice between “has” and “have” can depend on the tense of the verb and the subject-verb agreement.