6/25/2021 (3) How can I use 'have had', 'has had' and 'had had'?

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Verb Tenses English Diction and Word Usage Diction and Word Usage Grammar

English Grammar +1 Related Questions

How can I use "have had", "has had" and "had had"? How can I determine when to use had, have,
had been, etc.?
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Originally Answered: How is 'has have'/'had had' used?
Lesson for English grammar:

English language grammar is simple but has many exceptions and that is a challenge, then
you must understand the time line, and that is where it gets a bit tricky.

If you did something yesterday, a year ago and that task, function, action finished, you
speak in the simple past tense, I went to work yesterday.

If you did something in the past like five years ago that was not finished, you are still
doing, are involved in, you must use the tense we call present tense, you must use the verb
HAVE plus the verb of action you are using like, I have studied French for the pas … (more)

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Kent Thornell, 70 + years experience using American English

Updated June 16

I have found that the easiest way to explain the different forms and uses of the verb have
is:

HAVE / HAS:

possess/experience now, in present time: I have a dog. I have a cold. He has a

girlfriend

presently be obligated or compelled by necessity (have/has to): I have to go to

school, he has to take medicine for diabetes.

Recently completed an action: I have asked her to marry me. He has finished his
homework.

HAD:

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possessed/experienced
14 21 at a single point of time in the past: I 3had a dog, I had a
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cold. he had a girlfriend

was obligated or compelled by necessity at a single point of time in the past (had
to): I had to go to school, he had to take medicine for diabetes.

Completed an action in the past just before another period of time in the past: I
had asked her to marry me but her mother said no. He had finished his homework,
so he went for a walk.

HAVE HAD / HAS HAD

possess(ed)/experience(d) something starting at some time in the past and either

ending at some unspecified time not too long ago or continuing up to the
present. It contains a span of time not just a single point in time: I have had a dog
(may not have a dog now) / I have had a dog for years (still has a dog) I I have had
a cold (may not have a cold now) / I have had a cold for 3 days (still has a cold) he
has had a girlfriend (may not have a girlfriend now) / he has had a girlfriend since
he was 15 (still has a girlfriend)

be obligated or compelled by necessity starting at some time in the past and

either ending at some unspecified time not too long ago or continuing up to the
present (have or has had to). It contains a span of time not just a single point in
time: I have had to go to school (may not have to go to school now) / I have had
to go to school every weekday (still has to go to school) he has had to take
medicine for diabetes (may not have to take medicine for diabetes now) / he has
had to take medicine for diabetes since he was 45 (still has to take medicine for
diabetes)

HAD HAD

possessed/experienced something starting at some time in the past and ending

at some unspecified time before the present. It contains a span of time not just a
single point in time: I had had a dog, I had had a cold, he had had a girlfriend

was obligated or compelled by necessity starting at some time in the past and
ending at some unspecified time before the present (had had to). It contains a
span of time not just a single point in time.: I had had to go to school, he had had
to take medicine for diabetes.

There are more complex forms of the word have. However, once these basics are
understood, the other uses are easy to assimilate. Learn these forms first before any other.

The chart below might help you understand the differences between these forms of the
verb Have:

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Atmaja Bandyopadhyay, Advanced Learner of English.

34 3 2
Updated June 5, 2020

Short answer —

You can use ‘have had', ‘has had’ and ‘had had' in cases where had is used as the Main
Verb (in the Past formation of the Verb have when have is used not as a Helping Verb but
as a Main Verb).

Detailed Explanation —

Now, you know there are two categories of Verbs.

1. Main Verb —

a. (italised ones below in various forms).

i. I eat.

ii. I have eaten.

iii. I had eaten.

2. Helping Verb (italised ones below in various forms) which helps in formation of
certain tenses of the Main Verb:

i. I have eaten.

ii. I had eaten. etc.

For instance,

have eaten, had eaten, etc.

Here,

1. Main Verb — eat in the form eaten.

2. Helping Verb — have.

Now, there are certain cases where the word have can be used as a Main Verb.

For example —

I have breakfast.

I will have breakfast.

I have exam.

I will have exam.

In these cases, where the word have is used as a Main Verb, we use —

Have had and has had to express Present Perfect Tense [after Plural and
Singular Nouns respectively] and

Had had to express Past Perfect Tense.

For example —

I have breakfast. (Simple Present Tense)

I have had breakfast. (Present Perfect Tense)

I had had breakfast. (Past Perfect Tense)

She has breakfast. (Simple Present Tense)

She has had breakfast. (Present Perfect Tense)

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She had had breakfast.
1 (Past Perfect Tense) 3
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I have an exam. (Simple Present Tense)

I have had an exam. (Present Perfect Tense)

I had had an exam. (Past Perfect Tense)

Therefore, whenever you see these formations,

Just think —

1. Is the first has/have/had used as the Helping Verb for Present Perfect and Past
Perfect Tense respectively?

2. Is the second had used as the Main Verb here?

Finally, you can use the formations has had, have had, had had in cases where have is a
Main Verb and you have to form Present Perfect and Past Perfect Terasa of the Verb.

For instance, you have to say that you had your breakfast in the Present Perfect Tense.

Then, you will write —

I have had my breakfast.

She/He/Robert has had her/his/his breakfast.

If you write the same in Past Perfect Tense, you will write —

I had had my breakfast.

She/He/Robert had had her/his/his breakfast.

Similar examples —

1. I have had my share of worries.

2. She has had her lunch.

3. I had had my dinner by then.

I have used block quotes in some parts of my answer.

Source of the block quotes: one of my old answers[1]

Disclaimer: The writer does not intend to promote answers but seeks to make an honest
endeavour to uphold serious interest in learning.

Thanking Sir Pravasi Meet for the query —

How can I use "have had", "has had" and "had had"?

Regards.

Footnotes
[1] Atmaja Bandyopadhyay's answer to When do we use “have had” and “had had”?
7.5K views · View 34 upvotes · View shares · Answer requested by Pravasi Meet

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Related Questions More Answers Below

How can I determine when to use had, have, had been, etc.?

What's the difference between "I have had and I had"?

When should I use "has been", "have been" and "had been"?

Sanjay Saraswat, Have been training for 25 years for practical usage of
1.1K 40 25
language ,
Answered November 23, 2016 · Upvoted by Nkweni Chunda, M.A Literary Fiction &
English, University of Dschang (2018)

You can always come across these statements in day to day life .

1 . I have had lunch .

2. He has had lunch .

3. I had had lunch before you came.

This is one of the most confused about combinations as per my experience .I would firstly
tell a bit of grammar part and then clarify with real day to day usage .

THE CONFUSION IF AT ALL COMES IS BEACUSE OF TWO DIFFERENT USAGES OF

WORD “HAVE” . THEY LOOK AND SOUND LIKE SAME BUT PLEASE TREAT THEM
DIFFERENTLY . So let's separate them like one of them is same like “
“AM,ARE,WILL,SHALL, “ the helping or auxiliary verbs ,and the second. “have “ is just
like “ … (more)

25 comments from Leslie Colleen Friedrich and more

Abhishek Mishra, I know just enough to teach it - which I have done for 2
8
years
Answered June 28, 2016

Excellent answers here. I'd like to add a simple explanation here - nothing very technical.

See the difficulty here is that 'had' is used to denote an action in the past, like 'I had Killed'
whereas 'has' and 'have' are used to denote actions in the 'present' time. The present here
can be something currently going on or something which effects something which is
currently going on - for example 'I have killed' this denoting that I 'have had' this
experience of killing.

So, when we use structures like 'have had' or 'had had' this denotes an activity which has
already taken place. But, if the said … (more)

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Bistappayya Nadiger, Grammar teacher , guide and advisor.

16 2 1
Answered May 22, 2016

Out of your three queries, the first verb determines the tense. And the second one adds
beauty.

Person singular plural

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First I have had We have1 had 3
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Second You have had You have had

Third He has had

She has had They have had

It has had

Note : In the above cases ‘have’ is the Auxiliary and the ‘had’ is the Past participle. All these
are in the Present Perfect Tense. It is used to express an action completed but the result or
effect is not forgotten.

I have had my breakfast.

Situation: You had it at 08.30. Your intimate friend compels you give a company. Your
remarks as above stresses that you had it just … (more)

1 comment from Kshitiz Agrawal

Kh Ray, studied at Akra Saktigarh Rabindra Bidyapith

34 2
Answered February 9, 2020

know Many of you guyzz know how to write in English but face problem with the
expression like have had or had had . for mee too , but not today so i will come up with
new lesson that appease these sufferings . Today i tell you how to use it , pronunciation it ,
and some examples .

so we will learn crux of have had with this steps :

1. Introduction

2. Concept behind have had

3.More use of have had

4. Has had vs have had

5. Negative and Interrogative sentences using have had

6. pronunciation of have had in a sentences

7.had had with examples

1.Introduction

Have had is using the verb have in the … (more)

2 comments from David Anthony and more

Suruchi Dev, Grammar police

168 9 3
Answered March 20, 2016 · Upvoted by Vaibhav Dumaga, Have been practicing English for
long

Lets learn this one by one.

have had/has had

We typically use has/have as a main verb with an object to talk about common actions.
There are lots of things that we have in English, meaning that we enjoy or experience
them. For instance, we can:

1. have breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper/a bite to eat/a light meal

2. have a hot or cold drink/a glass of wine/a cup of coffee/some mineral water

3. have a shower/a bath/a wash and shave

4. have a rest/a snooze/a siesta/a good sleep/a bad dream

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5. have a walk/a swim/a good time/a nice evening/a day off/a holiday/a good
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journey/a good trip

6. have a word with someone/a chat/a conve

… (more)

3 comments from Aman Sharma and more

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