2. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to your comprehensive guide on the past tense of “have” — an essential building block for mastering English verb tenses. Whether you’re just beginning your English journey or looking to refine your advanced grammar skills, understanding how to correctly use “had” unlocks a wide range of past tense forms and expressions.
Grasping the use of “had” is crucial because it plays multiple roles: it expresses past possession, forms the past perfect tense, indicates past obligations, and appears in various idioms and expressions. Knowing when and how to use “had,” including in negative and question forms, enhances both your spoken and written English.
This article benefits English learners of all levels, ESL/EFL students, teachers seeking thorough explanations, and advanced learners polishing their tense mastery. It serves as both a reference and a practice resource.
We will cover definitions, grammatical roles, structural rules, types of usage, extensive examples, common errors, advanced nuances, FAQs, and practice exercises. By the end, you’ll confidently navigate all uses of the past tense of “have” in English communication.
Table of Contents
- 3. DEFINITION SECTION
- 4. STRUCTURAL BREAKDOWN
- 5. TYPES OR CATEGORIES
- 6. EXAMPLES SECTION
- 7. USAGE RULES
- 8. COMMON MISTAKES
- 9. PRACTICE EXERCISES
- 10. ADVANCED TOPICS
- 11. FAQ SECTION
- 12. CONCLUSION
3. DEFINITION SECTION
3.1. What is the Past Tense of “Have”?
The verb “have” is an irregular verb that primarily expresses possession, experience, relationships, or acts as an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses.
Its simple past tense form is “had”, which is used for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). Unlike many verbs, “have” doesn’t take “-ed” for the past. Instead, it changes irregularly to “had.”
| Base Form | Past Tense | Third Person Singular | Present Participle | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| have | had | has | having | had |
Table 1: Base Form vs. Past Tense of “Have”
3.2. Grammatical Classification
“Have” functions both as:
- Main (Lexical) Verb: indicates possession, relationships, experiences, or events (e.g., I had a car).
- Auxiliary (Helping) Verb: combines with past participles to form perfect tenses (e.g., I had finished).
This dual nature means “had” can appear alone (main verb) or before another verb (auxiliary), influencing its meaning and sentence structure.
3.3. Function of “Had”
“Had” carries several essential functions in English:
- Expressing past possession: I had a car.
- Describing past experiences or states: She had a headache.
- Forming perfect tenses as an auxiliary: They had left.
- Expressing past obligations/necessities: I had to leave early.
- Distinguishing stative vs. dynamic uses:
- Stative: possession, condition, state (She had a cold).
- Dynamic: experience/event (We had a party), or as auxiliary (They had finished).
4. STRUCTURAL BREAKDOWN
4.1. Forming the Past Tense of “Have”
“Had” is the simple past tense form of “have” and is used with all subjects:
| Subject | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| I | had |
| You | had |
| He/She/It | had |
| We | had |
| They | had |
Table 2: Subject + Had Forms
4.2. Affirmative Sentences
Structure: Subject + had + object/complement
Examples:
- She had a headache yesterday.
- They had dinner at 7 PM.
- I had a long day.
- We had tickets for the concert.
4.3. Negative Sentences
For negative sentences in the simple past, use “did not have” (didn’t have). Alternatively, “had no” can express a strong negative meaning.
Structure 1 (preferred):
Subject + did not (didn’t) + have + object
Structure 2:
Subject + had + no + noun
Examples:
- I didn’t have enough time.
- She didn’t have any idea.
- He had no money.
- They had no choice.
4.4. Interrogative Sentences
Structure: Did + subject + have + object?
Examples:
- Did you have lunch already?
- Did they have any problems?
- Did he have a good time?
- Did we have homework?
4.5. Short Answers
- Positive: Yes, I did. / Yes, they did.
- Negative: No, I didn’t. / No, he didn’t.
4.6. “Had” as an Auxiliary in Perfect Tenses
As an auxiliary, “had” combines with a past participle to create the past perfect.
Structure: Subject + had + past participle
Example: They had finished when I arrived.
(Detailed discussion in Advanced Topics.)
5. TYPES OR CATEGORIES
5.1. Main Verb “Have” Expressing Possession/State
- I had a bicycle when I was young.
- He had a cold last week.
- She had long hair as a child.
- They had a beautiful house.
5.2. “Have” Indicating Experience or Events
- We had a great time.
- She had an accident.
- They had a party last night.
- I had a strange dream.
5.3. “Have to” Expressing Past Obligation
Past form: had to
- They had to leave early.
- I had to call my boss.
- She had to finish the report.
- We had to cancel our trip.
5.4. Auxiliary “Had” in Perfect Tenses
- She had left before noon.
- They had been working all day.
- He had already eaten.
- We had never met before.
5.5. Idiomatic Uses
- I had better go. (giving advice)
- I had no choice.
- They had it coming. (deserved the consequences)
- We had a blast! (enjoyed a lot)
6. EXAMPLES SECTION
Below, find 50+ examples covering all categories:
6.1. Examples of “Had” as Past Simple Main Verb
- I had a pet rabbit.
- She had lunch at noon.
- They had a meeting yesterday.
- We had a lot of homework.
- He had a terrible headache.
- You had a red bike, right?
- My parents had a big garden.
- The company had many clients.
- The dog had a collar.
- I had a cold last week.
6.2. Examples of “Did Not Have”
- I didn’t have enough money.
- He didn’t have any questions.
- We didn’t have time to finish.
- They didn’t have a chance.
- She didn’t have the password.
- You didn’t have a ticket, did you?
- My brother didn’t have a job then.
- The store didn’t have my size.
- We didn’t have electricity during the storm.
- I didn’t have breakfast this morning.
6.3. Examples in Questions
- Did you have fun at the party?
- Did she have a good trip?
- Did they have any issues?
- Did we have class yesterday?
- Did he have a chance to call?
- Did your parents have pets?
- Did the children have a nap?
- Did you have enough time?
- Did the car have any problems?
- Did she have her phone with her?
6.4. Examples of “Had to” (Obligation)
- I had to call my parents.
- They had to cancel the event.
- She had to study all night.
- We had to leave early.
- He had to pay a fine.
- You had to wait for hours.
- My brother had to find a new job.
- The students had to finish the exam.
- They had to fix the car.
- I had to apologize.
6.5. Examples of “Had” as Auxiliary (Introductory)
- They had finished dinner before I arrived.
- She had never seen the ocean.
- We had already left.
- He had forgotten his keys.
- I had heard the news earlier.
- They had been friends for years.
- She had just called me.
- We had eaten before the movie.
- They had completed the project.
- He had known the answer.
6.6. Examples with Idioms & Expressions
- I had no idea.
- We had a blast!
- They had it coming.
- She had second thoughts.
- He had cold feet before the wedding.
- I had a feeling something was wrong.
- They had a falling out.
- We had a close call.
- She had the time of her life.
- He had butterflies in his stomach.
6.7. Tables of Examples
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| She had a headache. | She didn’t have a headache. | Did she have a headache? |
| They had dinner at 7. | They didn’t have dinner. | Did they have dinner? |
| I had a cold. | I didn’t have a cold. | Did you have a cold? |
Table 3: Affirmative, Negative, Interrogative Examples
| Sentence | Type |
|---|---|
| I had no money. | Had + no + noun |
| I didn’t have money. | Did not have |
| She had no reason. | Had + no + noun |
| She didn’t have a reason. | Did not have |
Table 4: “Had” vs. “Did not have” vs. “Had no”
| Example | Context |
|---|---|
| I had to leave early. | Past obligation |
| They had to finish the work. | Past necessity |
| She had to apologize. | Past obligation |
Table 5: “Had to” in Context
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| She had finished dinner. | Past perfect |
| They had never met before. | Past perfect |
| He had left by 5 PM. | Past perfect |
Table 6: Auxiliary “Had” in Past Perfect
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Had a blast | Had a great time |
| Had no clue | Didn’t know |
| Had it coming | Deserved consequences |
| Had second thoughts | Doubt or reconsideration |
Table 7: Idiomatic Expressions with “Had”
7. USAGE RULES
7.1. When to Use “Had” vs. “Have”/”Has”
Use “had” only in past time contexts, often with signal words like:
- yesterday
- last week/month/year
- in 1999
- when I was a child
- two days ago
7.2. Negative Formation Rule
In the simple past, negatives are formed with “did not have”, NOT “had not” (except in perfect tenses or formal writing).
- Correct: I didn’t have lunch.
- Incorrect: *I hadn’t lunch. (except formal/archaic British usage)
7.3. Question Formation Rule
Questions use “did” + subject + “have”:
- Correct: Did you have fun?
- Incorrect: *Had you fun? (archaic/rare)
7.4. “Had” as Auxiliary in Perfect Tenses
- Always precedes a past participle.
- Shows an action occurred before another past action/time.
- Example: She had left before I arrived.
7.5. “Had to” for Obligation
“Had to” expresses a past obligation or necessity.
- Example: I had to work late last night.
- Not an auxiliary verb here — part of a semi-modal phrase.
7.6. Exceptions & Variations
- Formal/archaic: Had you any money?
- British English: sometimes uses Have you a pen? or Had you a car? (more common in formal speech)
- Fixed expressions: idioms and certain phrases use “had” differently.
8. COMMON MISTAKES
8.1. Using “Have” Instead of “Had” in Past
- Incorrect: Yesterday I have a test.
- Correct: Yesterday I had a test.
8.2. Incorrect Negatives
- Incorrect: I hadn’t a car last year.
- Correct: I didn’t have a car last year.
8.3. Wrong Question Formation
- Incorrect: Had you fun?
- Correct: Did you have fun?
8.4. Confusing “Had” as Main Verb vs. Auxiliary
- Incorrect: I had went home.
- Correct: I had gone home.
8.5. Overusing “Had” in Present Contexts
- Incorrect: I had many friends now.
- Correct: I have many friends now.
8.6. Table of Correct vs. Incorrect Usage
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| I have a cold yesterday. | I had a cold yesterday. |
| She hadn’t any idea. | She didn’t have any idea. |
| Had you breakfast? | Did you have breakfast? |
| I had went home. | I had gone home. |
| We had to going now. | We had to go now. |
Table 8: Correct vs. Incorrect Usage Examples
9. PRACTICE EXERCISES
9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank (20 sentences)
- Yesterday, we ___ (have) a great time. had
- He ___ (not have) a car last year. didn’t have
- ___ you ___ (have) lunch already? Did, have
- She ___ (have) a headache yesterday. had
- They ___ (have) to leave early. had
- I ___ (not have) enough money. didn’t have
- We ___ (have) a test last week. had
- ___ they ___ (have) any problems? Did, have
- He ___ (have) a dream last night. had
- She ___ (have) no idea. had
- I ___ (have) to work late. had
- We ___ (not have) time to finish. didn’t have
- ___ you ___ (have) fun at the party? Did, have
- They ___ (have) a big house. had
- He ___ (have) to cancel the appointment. had
- I ___ (not have) breakfast. didn’t have
- She ___ (have) a cold last week. had
- We ___ (have) to clean the room. had
- ___ he ___ (have) a good trip? Did, have
- They ___ (not have) any tickets. didn’t have
9.2. Error Correction (10 sentences)
- *She hadn’t any money yesterday. → She didn’t have any money yesterday.
- *Yesterday I have a meeting. → Yesterday I had a meeting.
- *Had you a good weekend? → Did you have a good weekend?
- *I had went home. → I had gone home.
- *We hadn’t time. → We didn’t have time.
- *He had to going early. → He had to go early.
- *They had not any problems. → They didn’t have any problems.
- *I didn’t had lunch. → I didn’t have lunch.
- *She had never saw the movie. → She had never seen the movie.
- *You had better to leave. → You had better leave.
9.3. Identify the Function: Main Verb or Auxiliary? (15 examples)
- They had finished early. — Auxiliary
- He had a headache. — Main verb
- I had never seen that before. — Auxiliary
- She had no choice. — Main verb
- We had to leave. — Main verb (semi-modal)
- I had heard the news. — Auxiliary
- They had a party. — Main verb
- He had been working hard. — Auxiliary
- She had a cold. — Main verb
- I had better go. — Idiomatic/modal-like
- We had eaten before leaving. — Auxiliary
- They had no idea. — Main verb
- He had seen the movie. — Auxiliary
- I had to apologize. — Main verb (semi-modal)
- She had been waiting long. — Auxiliary
9.4. Sentence Construction
- (he / obligation / leave early / yesterday) → He had to leave early yesterday.
- (they / not have / time / last week) → They didn’t have time last week.
- (you / have / fun / at the concert) → Did you have fun at the concert?
- (she / accident / last year) → She had an accident last year.
- (we / finish / project / before deadline) → We had finished the project before the deadline.
9.5. Transformation Exercises
- I have lunch at noon. → I had lunch at noon.
- She has a lot of friends. → She had a lot of friends.
- They have a big house. → They had a big house.
- We have to work late. → We had to work late.
- He has no idea. → He had no idea.
10. ADVANCED TOPICS
10.1. Past Perfect and “Had”
Structure: Subject + had + past participle
Usage: Emphasizes that one past action occurred before another past action/time.
Examples:
- She had left before I arrived.
- They had never seen snow before moving here.
- He had finished his work when she called.
- We had already eaten when Tom came.
10.2. Past Perfect Continuous
Structure: Subject + had + been + present participle
Usage: Emphasizes ongoing action continuing up to a past point.
Examples:
- He had been working all day.
- They had been waiting for hours.
- She had been studying before the test.
- We had been talking when the phone rang.
10.3. “Had Had” Construction
This is the past perfect form of “have”.
Example: I had had enough by then.
Table 9: Examples of “had had” in Context
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| By 8 PM, I had had three coffees. | I had drunk (possessed and consumed) three coffees before 8 PM. |
| She had had many opportunities before moving abroad. | She had possessed many opportunities before moving. |
| They had had the car for years before selling it. | They had owned the car for years before they sold it. |
| He had had enough of their excuses. | He was fed up before that moment. |
10.4. Inversion with “Had”
In conditional sentences (third or mixed conditionals), “had” can invert with the subject to form a formal/literary conditional.
Examples:
- Had I known, I would have acted differently.
- Had she studied harder, she might have passed.
- Had they arrived earlier, they could have joined us.
10.5. Ellipsis in Perfect Tenses
Sometimes, the repeated verb phrase is omitted (ellipsis) to avoid repetition:
- She hadn’t (had) time, but I had.
- They hadn’t (had) any luck, but we had.
- He hadn’t (had) breakfast, but she had.
11. FAQ SECTION
- What is the past tense of “have”?
The past tense is “had”, used for all subjects. - When do I use “had” instead of “have” or “has”?
Use “had” when referring to past actions or states, typically with past time markers like “yesterday,” “last week,” etc. - Can “had” be both a main verb and an auxiliary verb?
Yes. As a main verb, it shows possession or experience. As an auxiliary, it helps form perfect tenses. - How do I form negative sentences with “had”?
In the simple past, use “did not (didn’t) have”. In perfect tenses, use “had not (hadn’t)” + past participle. - Why do I say “did not have” instead of “had not” in simple past negatives?
Because “did” is the auxiliary used to form negatives/questions in simple past. “Had not” is reserved for perfect tenses or formal speech. - What is the difference between “had” and “had to”?
“Had” shows possession or experience in the past; “had to” expresses past necessity or obligation. - How do I form questions with “had”?
Use “Did” + subject + “have” for simple past questions. Example: Did you have fun? - What does “had had” mean, and when do I use it?
It’s the past perfect of “have”, indicating possession/experience happened before another past event. Example: I had had enough before they arrived. - Is it correct to say “I hadn’t a car”?
Not in modern informal speech. Use “I didn’t have a car”. “I hadn’t a car” is formal or archaic British English. - What’s the difference between “had” in past simple and past perfect?
Past simple “had”: single past event/state.
Past perfect “had + past participle”: event that occurred before another past event. - Can “had” be used in idiomatic expressions?
Yes, such as had no idea, had a blast, had it coming, had better. - Are there any exceptions or irregularities in using “had”?
Mainly in formal/archaic questions (e.g., Had you any money?) and idioms/fixed phrases. Otherwise, usage is regular.
12. CONCLUSION
This guide explored the past tense of “have” — the word “had” — in its many roles. We covered its forms, use as a main verb expressing possession or experience, as an auxiliary in perfect tenses, and in expressing obligations and idiomatic expressions.
We explained how to form affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences, highlighted common mistakes, and provided extensive examples and practice exercises. We also delved into advanced topics like the past perfect, past perfect continuous, and the “had had” construction.
Mastering “had” is vital for accurate past tense communication and understanding the perfect aspect in English. It helps you clearly express sequences of events, past states, obligations, and nuanced meanings.
Continue practicing with the exercises, review the examples regularly, and apply these structures in your writing and speaking. Pay close attention to context and sentence structure to avoid common errors and to enhance fluency.
With diligence, you’ll confidently use “had” in all its forms — a key step toward mastering English verb tenses and communicating effectively about the past.