Verb Have (Expressing Possession) – 23 Common Grammar Topics in the Cambridge Starters Exam

The verb “have” is used to indicate possession, relationships, or attributes. It can also be used for actions like eating or experiencing something, but when expressing possession, it simply shows ownership or belonging. For example, “I have a book” means that the speaker owns the book. In addition to possession, “have” can describe relationships, characteristics, or experiences, like “She has a brother” or “We have fun together.” In questions and negatives, it works with auxiliary verbs like “do” or “does,” as in “Do you have a pen?” or “I don’t have time.” Unlike “have got,” which is informal and limited to the present tense, “have” can be used in all tenses, making it more versatile.

1. Forms of “Have” to Show Possession:

➡️ 1.1 Affirmative Sentences (Positive statements): Subject + have/has + object
✍️ I/You/We/They have a car.
Examples:
🚗 I have a shiny red car that I drive to work every day.
📚 I have three interesting books that I’m currently reading for my literature class.
🎮 You have a brand-new video game console that you just bought last week.
📱 You have a sleek new smartphone, and you always use it to take amazing photos.
🎉 We have a huge party planned for tomorrow to celebrate my brother’s graduation.
🏠 We have a cozy house near the beach where we often spend our weekends relaxing.
👶 They have a cute baby boy who laughs loudly every time they play with him.
🎒 They have two large backpacks, which they use for their adventurous hiking trips.

✍️ He/She/It has a car.
Examples:
🧑‍🏫 He has a collection of old history books because he’s always been fascinated by the past.
🎒 He now owns a stylish black backpack that he takes to school every day.
💄 She has a makeup kit and often gets ready quickly for events.
🎹 She has a piano at home but has never learned how to play it, although she’s curious.
🏠 It has a large garden where the children love to play every afternoon.
🚗 It has an eco-friendly engine, making it a perfect choice for environmentally conscious drivers.

➡️ 1.2 Negative Sentences (When you don’t have something): Subject + do/does not have + object
✍️ I/You/We/They don’t have a car.
Examples:
❌ I don’t have any coffee to start my day!
🚗 I don’t have a driving license yet.
📱 You don’t have the latest app update installed.
🎓 You don’t have enough credits to graduate this year.
🌍 We don’t have enough vacation days left to travel to Europe.
🍕 We don’t have any pizza left for dinner tonight.
🏡 They don’t have a place to stay for the night.
🎟️ They don’t have tickets for the concert this weekend.

✍️ He/She/It doesn’t have a car.
Examples:
🚗 He doesn’t have a car, so every morning he has to walk 20 minutes to catch the bus. It’s his daily workout!
📱 He doesn’t have a phone because he believes in a simpler life. Instead, he enjoys writing letters and sending postcards to his friends.
🍫 She doesn’t have any chocolate left because she generously gave all of her favorite snacks to her best friend during their movie night.
🎸 She doesn’t have a guitar, but that doesn’t stop her from singing her heart out to her favorite songs, using a hairbrush as a microphone.
🦴 It doesn’t have any food in its bowl, and now the little kitten is sitting by the door, looking up with big, hungry eyes, waiting for dinner.
🌳 It doesn’t have leaves anymore because winter has arrived, leaving the tree bare and frosty, but still standing tall.

➡️ 1.3 Questions (Asking if someone has something): Do/Does + subject + have + object?
✍️ Do I/you/we/they have a car?
Examples:
💡Do I have enough time to finish this project by Friday?
🛠 Do I have all the tools needed for the repair?
🎧 Do you have headphones that I can borrow for the meeting?
📚 Do you have the latest edition of this book?
🎟 Do we have tickets for the concert tonight?
🍕 Do we have enough pizza for everyone at the party?
🏡 Do they have a house by the beach?
🎤 Do they have a microphone for the event?

✍️ Does he/she/it have a car?
Examples:
🧸 Does he have a teddy bear in his room?
🏀 Does he have a basketball for the game tomorrow?
📚 Does she have a favorite book for the school project?
🎤 Does she have a microphone for the concert tonight?
🛸 Does it have a remote control to fly the drone?
🚗 Does it have enough fuel to drive across the city?

2. Tense:

“Have” is more flexible and used in all tenses (present, past, future).
➡️ Present tense: I have a car. (I own it now.)
➡️ Past tense: I had a bike.
Examples:
😊 I had a puppy when I was a child. I used to play with him every day!
🏖️ You had a beautiful beach house last summer. We had so many fun barbecues there!
🎸 We had a great band in high school. We played at local events every weekend.
🛵 They had a scooter for years. It was their main way to get around the city.
🎮 He had an old video game console. It was a vintage model, and everyone wanted to play it!
📚 She had a huge collection of books. Her library was full of rare editions.
🐦 It had a lovely song. The bird would sing every morning at dawn.

➡️ Future: I will have a bike.
➡️ Negative:
Use “don’t have” or “doesn’t have” to say someone doesn’t possess something in the present.

3. When to Use “Have”:

➡️ When talking about possessions:
Examples:
🖥️ I have a computer. I use my computer every day for work and studying. It’s really helpful for research.
🚗 He had a car last year. He used to drive it to work, but he sold it because he moved to the city where public transport is better.
🏠 They will have a new house next month. They are currently living in an apartment but are excited to move into a bigger house they just bought.
📱 She has a smartphone. She uses her smartphone to stay connected with friends, browse the internet, and take photos.
🎒 We had school bags when we were kids. Back in the day, we used to carry our books and lunch in those school bags. They were colorful and sturdy.

➡️ When describing family relationships:
Examples:
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 I have two brothers. Right now, I’m the middle child. I have two brothers, one older and one younger. We often play video games together.
👶 She had a baby sister last year. Last year, her parents welcomed a new baby into the family. Now, she loves helping to take care of her little sister.
💍 They will have a son soon. They are excited because in just a few months, they will welcome their first child, a baby boy, into the family.
👵 He has a very kind grandmother. He spends most weekends with his grandmother. She always makes his favorite cookies and tells him stories about her childhood.
👧 We had three cousins at the family party. At last summer’s family reunion, we spent time with three of our cousins. We played games and took lots of family photos together.

➡️ For physical characteristics or attributes:
Examples:
🌟 She has curly hair, which she inherited from her mother.
👀 I have blue eyes, and people always ask if I wear colored lenses.
🦷 He had a chipped tooth after the bike accident, but he got it fixed.
💪 They will have stronger muscles after training for the marathon next month.
👧 My friend had freckles as a child, but they faded as she grew older.

➡️ In formal and American English, “have” is more common than “have got”:
Example: We have a house in the city. (Instead of “We have got…”)

4. Important Notes:

➡️ Use “has” with singular third-person (he, she, it). For other subjects (I, you, we, they), use “have”.
➡️ No Contraction in Negative Forms: Unlike “have got,” the negative form of “have” uses do/does not:
Examples:
She doesn’t have a ticket. (Not “She hasn’t a ticket.”)
I don’t have a pet. (Not “I haven’t a pet.”)