Understanding the Plural Form of ‘Has’ in English Grammar

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English verb conjugation is a fundamental concept that every learner must master to communicate accurately. A key part of this is subject-verb agreement, which means making sure the verb form matches the subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third).

One common question among students is whether there is a plural form of the verb has. Many learners wonder, for example, “Is there a plural of has? When should I use have instead?” This confusion is understandable because English verbs change form based on the subject.

This comprehensive grammar article demystifies the so-called “plural of has,” focusing on its correct forms, usage, and common learner confusions. Understanding this topic helps you speak and write with accuracy, especially in academic, professional, or formal English settings.

Whether you are a student, teacher, ESL learner, advanced grammar enthusiast, or anyone who wants to clarify their understanding of English verb forms, this article is your ultimate guide. You’ll find detailed explanations, examples, tables, and practice exercises to reinforce your knowledge.

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section

3.1. What Is ‘Has’?

Has is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb have. It is classified both as a main verb and an auxiliary (helping) verb.

As a main verb, has indicates possession or relation:

  • She has a new bicycle.
  • The company has many clients.

As a helping verb, it helps form perfect tenses:

  • He has finished his work.
  • It has started raining.

3.2. What Do We Mean by ‘Plural of Has’?

English verbs change form depending on the number (singular/plural) and person of the subject. The phrase “plural of has” is a learner’s way of asking: “What verb form do we use with plural subjects in the present tense?”

Important: ‘Has’ itself does not have a plural form. Instead, the plural form of the verb “have” in the present tense is simply have.

So, the verb changes as follows:

  • Singular third-person (→ he/she/it): has
  • Plural subjects (→ we/you/they) and first/second person: have

3.3. Overview of ‘Have’ vs. ‘Has’

Both have and has are present tense forms of the verb “have.” Their usage depends on the subject:

  • Have is used with I, we, you, they, and plural nouns.
  • Has is used with he, she, it, and singular nouns.

They function both as main verbs (expressing possession or relation) and auxiliary verbs (forming perfect tenses).

Pronunciation:

  • Have: /hæv/ (rhymes with “cave”)
  • Has: /hæz/ (rhymes with “jazz”)

4. Structural Breakdown

4.1. Subject-Verb Agreement Basics

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the subject in number and person.

Subject Pronoun Singular / Plural Correct Verb Form
I singular have
You singular/plural have
He / She / It singular has
We plural have
They plural have

Table 1: Subject pronouns and correct present tense forms of “have.”

4.2. Present Simple Tense Forms of ‘Have’

Here’s a full conjugation of the verb have in the present simple tense, including affirmative, negative, and question forms:

Subject Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I I have I don’t have Do I have?
You You have You don’t have Do you have?
He/She/It He has He doesn’t have Does he have?
We We have We don’t have Do we have?
They They have They don’t have Do they have?

Table 2: Present simple conjugation of “have.”

4.3. ‘Have’ and ‘Has’ as Main Verbs

When used as a main verb, “have” or “has” typically shows possession, characteristics, or relationships.

  • She has a car.
  • My uncle has three children.
  • They have a big house.
  • We have an idea.

4.4. ‘Have’ and ‘Has’ as Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs

As auxiliary verbs, “have” and “has” help form the present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous tense.

  • He has eaten breakfast already.
  • They have gone to the cinema.
  • She has lived here for five years.
  • We have studied a lot.

4.5. Negative Forms

In negative sentences in the present simple, use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) + base form have (not “has”).

Subject Negative Form
I I don’t have
You You don’t have
He/She/It He doesn’t have
We We don’t have
They They don’t have

Table 3: Negative forms with “have.”

4.6. Question Forms

To ask questions in the present simple, use do or does before the subject, followed by the base form have.

  • Does she have a laptop?
  • Do they have tickets?
  • Does it have a battery?
  • Do we have enough time?

5. Types or Categories

5.1. Singular Subject Usage with ‘Has’

Use has with all singular third-person pronouns and singular nouns:

  • He has a new phone.
  • She has two brothers.
  • It has four wheels.
  • The dog has brown fur.
  • My friend has a nice apartment.
  • The company has many clients.

5.2. Plural Subject Usage with ‘Have’

Use have with all plural pronouns and plural nouns:

  • We have a big family.
  • You have many friends.
  • They have a new project.
  • The students have exams next week.
  • My friends have a band.
  • The companies have signed a contract.

5.3. First and Second Person Subjects

Have is used with both singular and plural forms of the pronouns I and you.

  • I have a question. (first person singular)
  • You have a nice smile. (second person singular)
  • We have plans tonight. (first person plural)
  • You have tickets to the concert. (second person plural)

This often confuses learners, but remember: never use “has” with “I” or “you.”

5.4. Irregularities and Special Cases

Some subject types require special attention:

  • Collective nouns:
    UK English sometimes treats collective nouns as plural:
    The team have won the match.
  • Indefinite pronouns:
    Words like everybody, everyone, somebody, nobody are grammatically singular:
    Everybody has a ticket.
Subject Verb Form Example
The team (UK) have The team have arrived.
The team (US) has The team has arrived.
Everyone has Everyone has their own desk.
Nobody has Nobody has seen him today.

Table 4: Special subjects and agreement patterns.

6. Examples Section

6.1. Examples with Singular Subjects (‘Has’)

  • The teacher has a new book.
  • My brother has a cold.
  • It has four wheels.
  • She has a beautiful voice.
  • He has a lot of experience.
  • The baby has blue eyes.
  • My phone has a good camera.
  • The company has offices worldwide.
  • John has a new job.
  • The dog has a shiny coat.

6.2. Examples with Plural Subjects (‘Have’)

  • The students have homework.
  • We have an appointment.
  • They have many ideas.
  • You have a great opportunity.
  • The children have a party today.
  • My friends have new jobs.
  • The cars have new tires.
  • We have plenty of time.
  • The workers have finished their tasks.
  • The companies have different policies.

6.3. Auxiliary Verb Examples (Present Perfect)

  • She has finished her work.
  • They have gone home.
  • It has rained all day.
  • He has traveled to Japan.
  • We have studied for hours.
  • I have lost my keys.
  • She has cooked dinner.
  • You have done a great job.
  • They have seen that movie.
  • He has called three times.

6.4. Negative Forms Examples

  • He doesn’t have a car.
  • They don’t have time.
  • She doesn’t have any siblings.
  • I don’t have enough money.
  • We don’t have internet access here.

6.5. Question Forms Examples

  • Does he have your number?
  • Do they have tickets?
  • Does she have any children?
  • Do you have a pen?
  • Does it have a name?

6.6. Example Tables

Singular Subject Plural Subject
The student has a question. The students have questions.
She has a dog. They have dogs.
My brother has a bike. My brothers have bikes.

Table 5: Singular vs. plural subject examples.

Subject Affirmative Negative Question
He He has a book. He doesn’t have a book. Does he have a book?
They They have a book. They don’t have a book. Do they have a book?

Table 6: Affirmative, negative, and question forms.

Subject Present Perfect
She She has finished her homework.
They They have finished their homework.
It It has stopped raining.
We We have cleaned the house.

Table 7: Present perfect with singular and plural subjects.

7. Usage Rules

7.1. Basic Rule for Present Simple

  • Use “has” with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, singular nouns).
  • Use “have” with all other subjects (I, you, we, they, plural nouns).

Examples:

  • She has a dog.
  • They have a dog.
  • I have a dog.

7.2. Auxiliary Verb Usage

The same rule applies when “have” or “has” is a helping verb for perfect tenses:

  • He has arrived.
  • They have arrived.

7.3. Irregular Pronouns and Collective Nouns

Indefinite pronouns such as “everyone,” “everybody,” “someone,” “nobody” are grammatically singular and take has:

  • Everybody has a chance.
  • Someone has forgotten their bag.

Collective nouns:

  • UK English may use plural:
    The team have won.
  • US English usually uses singular:
    The team has won.

7.4. Negative Sentences

  • Use “don’t” or “doesn’t” + base form “have.”
  • Never use “hasn’t” alone for simple possession; “hasn’t” is only correct as an auxiliary verb.

Correct:

  • She doesn’t have any money.
  • They don’t have a car.

7.5. Questions

Use do/does + subject + have to form questions.

Examples:

  • Does she have a car?
  • Do they have a car?

The old-fashioned question form “Has she a car?” is very formal or literary and rare in modern English.

7.6. Common Exceptions and Formal Variations

  • Formal or older English may use:
    Has he any idea?
  • Standard modern usage prefers:
    Does he have any idea?

For clarity and modern correctness, use the do/does + have structure in negatives and questions.

8. Common Mistakes

8.1. Using ‘Has’ with Plural Subjects

Incorrect: They has a meeting.

Correct: They have a meeting.

8.2. Using ‘Have’ with Third-Person Singular

Incorrect: She have a dog.

Correct: She has a dog.

8.3. Misusing ‘Has’ and ‘Have’ in Questions

Incorrect: Has they a car?

Correct: Do they have a car?

8.4. Negatives with ‘Has’

Incorrect: She hasn’t a brother.

Correct: She doesn’t have a brother.

8.5. Mistakes with Indefinite Pronouns

Incorrect: Everyone have problems.

Correct: Everyone has problems.

8.6. Table 8: Common Mistakes with Corrected Forms

Incorrect Sentence Corrected Sentence
They has new shoes. They have new shoes.
She have a cat. She has a cat.
Has they a problem? Do they have a problem?
He hasn’t any money. He doesn’t have any money.
Everyone have a ticket. Everyone has a ticket.
We has to leave now. We have to leave now.
You has a question? Do you have a question?
My friends has arrived. My friends have arrived.

9. Practice Exercises

9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank

  1. The boys ___ (have/has) new bicycles.
  2. She ___ (have/has) a headache.
  3. We ___ (have/has) two cats.
  4. My mother ___ (have/has) a garden.
  5. They ___ (have/has) a surprise for you.
  6. It ___ (have/has) a long tail.
  7. I ___ (have/has) a question.
  8. Tom ___ (have/has) three sisters.
  9. You ___ (have/has) a great smile.
  10. The companies ___ (have/has) offices abroad.

Answer Key:

  1. have
  2. has
  3. have
  4. has
  5. have
  6. has
  7. have
  8. has
  9. have
  10. have

9.2. Error Correction

  1. She have a large family.
  2. They has a new house.
  3. My friend have a pet.
  4. We has many ideas.
  5. He don’t have a job.
  6. You has many books.
  7. Does she has your phone number?
  8. Everyone have problems sometimes.

Answer Key:

  1. She has a large family.
  2. They have a new house.
  3. My friend has a pet.
  4. We have many ideas.
  5. He doesn’t have a job.
  6. You have many books.
  7. Does she have your phone number?
  8. Everyone has problems sometimes.

9.3. Identification Exercise

Identify if the use of “has” or “have” is correct (Yes/No):

  1. She has a nice bag. (Yes)
  2. They has two cars. (No)
  3. I have to go now. (Yes)
  4. You has many friends. (No)
  5. My dog has a collar. (Yes)
  6. We have dinner at six. (Yes)
  7. He have a brother. (No)
  8. The girls have new dresses. (Yes)

9.4. Sentence Construction

Create sentences with the correct form (“have” or “has”):

  1. (They / many questions) → They have many questions.
  2. (She / a new phone) → She has a new phone.
  3. (I / two brothers) → I have two brothers.
  4. (The car / four doors) → The car has four doors.
  5. (We / a plan) → We have a plan.
  6. (My friend / a pet) → My friend has a pet.
  7. (You / a good idea) → You have a good idea.
  8. (The children / toys) → The children have toys.

9.5. Mixed Review Quiz

  1. My sister ___ (have/has) a piano.
  2. ___ they have any questions? (Do/Does)
  3. Tom ___ (don’t/doesn’t) have a computer.
  4. We ___ (have/has) a new teacher.
  5. Everybody ___ (have/has) a chance to win.
  6. They ___ (have/has) gone home already.
  7. Does she ___ (have/has) a pet?
  8. I ___ (don’t/doesn’t) have my wallet.
  9. The students ___ (have/has) finished the test.
  10. He ___ (have/has) never been abroad.

Answer Key:

  1. has
  2. Do
  3. doesn’t
  4. have
  5. has
  6. have
  7. have
  8. don’t
  9. have
  10. has

10. Advanced Topics

10.1. Formal and Literary Uses

In older or very formal English, you might encounter questions or negatives like:

  • Has he any money? (instead of “Does he have any money?”)
  • She hasn’t a clue. (instead of “She doesn’t have a clue.”)

This usage is declining and uncommon in modern spoken or informal English.

10.2. Differences in British vs. American English

Collective nouns differ in agreement:

Collective Noun British English American English
The team have has
The company have has
The government have has

Table 9: British/American collective noun differences.

In UK English, the focus is often on the members as a group of individuals (“The team have won”). In US English, the focus is on the group as a single unit (“The team has won”).

10.3. Contractions and Informal Speech

Common contractions with “have” and “has”:

  • He’s got (He has got)
  • She’s got (She has got)
  • We’ve got (We have got)
  • They’ve got (They have got)

“Have got” is often used in British English for possession:

  • I’ve got a car.
  • They’ve got no time.

In American English, simple “have” is preferred:

  • I have a car.
  • They have no time.

With modal verbs (must, should, could, would, might), the base form “have” is always used—never “has.”

  • She must have forgotten.
  • They should have arrived by now.
  • He might have left early.

10.5. Perfect Tenses Beyond Present

  • Present perfect continuous:
    She has been having problems lately.
    They have been having meetings all day.
  • Past perfect:
    He had finished before noon.
  • Future perfect:
    She will have completed the work by Friday.

11. FAQ Section

  1. Is there a plural form of ‘has’?
    No, “has” does not have a plural form. The plural (and also first, second person singular) uses “have.”
  2. When do I use ‘has’ versus ‘have’?
    Use “has” with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, singular nouns). Use “have” with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns.
  3. Why do we say ‘I have’ and not ‘I has’?
    Because “I” is first person singular, which always takes “have” in the present tense.
  4. Can ‘has’ be used with plural subjects?
    No. Always use “have” with plural subjects.
  5. Is ‘Has she a car?’ correct?
    It’s grammatically correct but very formal or old-fashioned. Modern English prefers “Does she have a car?”
  6. Why does ‘you’ use ‘have’ in both singular and plural?
    English uses “have” with “you” regardless of number or formality.
  7. What about ‘has got’ and ‘have got’?
    “Have got” and “has got” mean the same as “have” and “has” for possession, common in British English. Example: “He’s got a bike” = “He has a bike.”
  8. Are there differences in ‘has’ usage between American and British English?
    Mainly with collective nouns (“The team have” UK vs. “The team has” US) and the use of “have got” (more common in UK).
  9. Can ‘has’ be a helping verb?
    Yes. “Has” is an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses: “She has finished.”
  10. How do negatives work with ‘has’ and ‘have’?
    Use “don’t have” or “doesn’t have” for negatives in present simple. “Hasn’t” is used as an auxiliary, not for simple possession.
  11. What are common mistakes with ‘has’ and ‘have’?
    Using “has” with plural subjects, using “have” with third-person singular, incorrect negatives/questions.
  12. Is ‘Everyone have’ or ‘Everyone has’ correct?
    “Everyone has” is correct because “everyone” is singular.

12. Conclusion

In summary, ‘has’ is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb “have,” while ‘have’ is used for plural subjects and the first and second person singular.

Mastering subject-verb agreement with “have” and “has” is essential for clear, correct English. It applies equally when these verbs are used alone or as auxiliaries in perfect tenses.

Reviewing the many examples and practicing with the exercises above will help you internalize these rules and avoid common mistakes. This understanding will improve your fluency, grammatical accuracy, and confidence in English communication.

Keep practicing, and you’ll master the usage of “have” and “has” in no time!

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