Verb Forms

In this article, we will be learning about verb forms. We will be looking into verb forms "has", "have" and "had". So, present tense refers to "has" and "have", and past tense refers to "had". So, let's understand this in detail below.

Has vs. Have

Generally, all the verbs "has", "have", and "had" show that a person or a noun possesses or owns something.

1. Has: used with “he”, “she”, singular or collective nouns.

For example: 

• The spaceship has a strong engine.
• Although he has his doubts about the engine, he tried to be supportive.
• He knows he has a lot of research to complete for the space project.

2. Have: used with "I", "You", "We", and "They".

For example:

• “You have a problem with the engine, it seems!” the director exclaimed to the scientists.
• The scientists have come up with a solution to fix the spaceship’s engine.

3. Had: used with all pronouns, singular and plural subjects.

For example :

• The director had an issue with the large amount of money the scientists were spending on the project.
• However, within a few months, the scientists had successfully completed the entire space project.

Practice Questions

Question 1: 

The astronauts __________ to test the spaceship before it launches.

1. has
2. have
3. had

Answer: 

The correct answer to this question is option (2) - "have". Option (1) - "has" is incorrect as the subject (the astronauts) are more than 1 and plural in nature. So, option 1 is incorrect. Option (3) is also incorrect as the sentence is in the present tense, while had is the past tense of the verb 'has'.

Question 2:

Jack, the lead astronaut and the pilot of the spacecraft __________ a tough job ahead of them. He needs to identify problems for the scientists to ensure a safe launch for his crew.

1. has
2. have
3. had

Answer: 

The correct answer to this question is option (2) - “have”. The hint is at the end of the first sentence, where it is mentioned that they have a tough job ahead of them. Now, we know that the subject is plural (astronaut and pilot), and the scenario is in the present tense. So, the correct answer is "have".

Contractions Using the Verbs Has vs. Have

Let us understand Contractions using the verb 'Has'.

• He has = He’s
• She has = She’s
• Has not = hasn’t

For example:

1. He’s been impressed by the work of the scientists.
2. He has been impressed by the work of the scientists.

We use the verb "has" in the contraction above due to the word “been”. Be careful when using contractions! If the sentence is phrased like the one below, it can refer to He is/She is.

3. She hasn't seen the spaceship yet, but she is excited to.

Now, let us understand about Contractions using the verb ‘Have’.

• You have = You’ve
• They have = They’ve
• I have = I’ve

For example:

1. “You’ve been looking forward to testing this spaceship, haven’t you?” the scientist asked Jack, the pilot.
2. “I’ve been so excited but nervous about it, too! Let’s hope it goes well!” Jack replied, looking at the brand-new spaceship, in awe.

Practice Questions

Question 1: 

“You __________ seen the new spaceship? It’s simply incredible!” the lead scientist chimed, excitedly as he could not believe it had not been seen before.

1. hasn’t
2. Haven’t
3. Hadn’t
4. Wasn’t

Answer: 

The correct answer to this question is "option (2) - "haven't". The hint in this question is "seen" and spaceship. "Hadn't" and "wasn't" are incorrect as both of these are in the past tense and dialogues are written in the present tense. Also, Option (1) - "hasn't" is incorrect as the subject here is singular in nature.

Question 2: 

Jack has a chance of testing the spaceship before the launch, __________ he ?

1. hasn’t
2. Haven’t
3. Hadn’t
4. Isn’t

Answer: 

The correct answer to this question is option (1) - “hasn’t”. The hint in the first sentence is “has” only. Options (2) & (3) are incorrect as the sentence is in present tense & are singular in nature. Not only this, we cannot use “hadn’t” as it is used when the scenario has already happened in the past.

Test Your Concepts

Answer the following questions based on the concepts we’ve covered in this article. If you get stuck, revisit the relevant section to revise the concepts.

Question 1: 

The spaceship __________ been given the green light for the test flight.

1. Has
2. Have
3. Had

Question 2: 

“The scientists have no idea what they’re doing without their lead scientist, __________ they?” Jack anxiously thought to himself.

1. Has
2. Have
3. Had
4. Was

Question 3: 

Last night, the director of the space centre __________ mentioned to the lead scientist that an inspection should be conducted. He must have forgotten.

1. hasn’t
2. Haven’t
3. Hadn’t
4. Have had