Have, had or has been? (When to use the Perfect Tenses in English)
Have had or has been can be challenging to grasp, if you do not know how to use and apply the grammar rules in English. In this lesson we will go through an example of have, had and has been being used. Together we will anaylse why they are being used in these sentences and how you can use them when speaking in English.
Watch the video lesson to learn when to use have, had or has been…
Make sure to turn on subtitles by clicking the CC button if you are struggling to follow the lesson 🙂
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Below you will find the full lesson notes from the video lesson…
When to use: to have
I have a new car. The basic meaning of the verb have is “to be in the possession of something”. It is used in present simple, and it expresses a fact of having something in the present. When it comes to auxiliary verb “have”, we use it to form present perfect and present perfect continuous. I have gone to that show already. In this example, “have” is used as an auxiliary verb to form present perfect. Present perfect is a tense that connects past and the present. In this example, the person went to the show sometime in the past, but that is still valid in the present. Auxiliary verb “to have” is used to express that present through its present form. I have skipped breakfast today and now I’m hungry. In this example “have” is again used to form present perfect. Here it expresses a finished action in the past that has a result on the present – because the person in the example didn’t eat breakfast in the morning, in the present the person is hungry. To connect the two, present perfect is used and the verb “have” again serves as a signal of the present time by being in the present itself (by form). I have been going to the same cafe for 10 years. Auxiliary verb “to have” is also used to form present perfect continuous. The tense is used to express regularity of some action that started in the past, and continues to happen throughout some amount of time regularly and it is still true in the present. Auxiliary verb helps us to become aware of the present time of the action. I have been watching that show the whole day. In this example have is also used to form present perfect continuous. It expresses and action that started in the past, but was happening the whole time leading up to the present, and continues still. The present form of have reminds us of the present time of the action.
When to use Has been?
That china set has been in our family for year. In this example, we see another form of the verb “to have”. “Has” is the third person singular of the verb to have, used for pronouns he, she, it. In this example, we used it to form present perfect, and has functions the same as “have” – it contains and expresses the present time, connects the past and the present. He has been reading for the past two hours. In this example has is used to form present perfect continuous. It is used for the same pronouns, he, she or it, so, for the third person singular. As we said, as have and has are the same verbs, their function is the same – has also signaled the present for some action that started in the past, but continues up to the present. She has been running for half an hour without any pause. Has is again used to form present perfect continuous. It expresses an unfinished action that started up in the past continued to happen for some amount of time leading up to the present and is still true in the present.
When to use had been?
I had a dress like that, I don’t know where it is now. Verb “had” is the past form of the verb to have. It expresses the possession of something in the past, something someone had before, but no longer has, the action is completely in the past. He had studied English before he moved to New York. “Had” may also be used as an auxiliary verb to form past perfect. When we use past perfect, we express a past action that happened before some other past action, so past before the past. Auxiliary verb “had” signals the past by it past form. When it comes to had, it has the same form throughout all persons, so with he, she, it, we also use “had”, just like with all other person. I had gone to that school before I changed cities. In this example we are again faced with a past action that happened before some other past action. To express that, auxiliary verb “had” is used. He had been waiting there for more than 2 hours when she finally arrived. Auxiliary verb “had” is also used to form past perfect continuous. It expresses some past action that was happening for some time in the past, before some other past action happened. To sum up, we use auxiliary verb “have” to form present perfect and present perfect continuous. “Had” is the past form of “have”, and therefore it is used to form past perfect and past perfect continuous.
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THAT was the best way to explain EVER!!
thank you
Glad you found it useful 🙂
Your idea’s are too good
Glad this post helps 🙂
But When we are talking about any past event for A gender what will we use has or had
Like She had a car or she has a car
Ideas, not idea’s. Ideas is just a plural.
She was just testing to see who was anal enough to correct her. Congrats.
In
Great lesson
K
Yes it is very useful & knowledgeable app for learner’s
Glad that you found this lesson useful 🙂
Thanks,l haven’t till date understood it.please continue.
You are right
He walked to school
Why can’t I say.. He was walked to school.
useful,Appreciate
Glad you found it useful 🙂
Thank you so much for this clear and simple explanation.
I had been struggling to understand this rule of language, but I finally puzzled out the mystery. 😀
Keep up the good work.
Hey Jeffery! Glad you found this explanation useful 🙂 Thanks for being here and for your support
Now i know.
Glad this lesson helps 🙂
Hi adriana
venkat.varidelli@gmail.comthis lesson helps a lot
Glad you found this lesson useful 🙂
English?
Great explanation.easy to comprehend.
Perfect explanation. Grammar may easy by this way.
hi ma’am
This lesson is quiet useful. Someone asked me about ‘has been’ and ‘had been’ explanation. I explained that to her but not so effectively. Then I got your lesson on google and I referred that link to her. She was very pleased with the content and told me it was very helpful for clearing her concept. Thank you for sharing this video.
Glad this lesson helps you Manoj better understand the use of the perfect tenses 🙂 Thanks so much for being a good friend and helping your friends learn English 🙂
good one
Glad it helps 🙂
Adriana it helped me a lot thanks for such a simple explanation
what is the correct sentence construction for ” I had been watching my favorite movie before I went to picnic?”
Thanks it really helped me
Glad it helps 🙂
thanks for explanation. It’s quite usefull.
Glad you found this lesson useful 🙂
Good Work !
Hi ma’am,
You have explained it in clear manner,most of the example you have used with the reference of time for example “I have been watching this show for whole day”. we often see these sentences like”your application has been submitted successfully”. could you please explain when and how to use these type of structure
Great question! I will be going through this in a future video lesson 🙂
it was great way to explaining. i had been suffering from last 2 years but know i am clear.
thanks
Great stuff!
I love it
Glad you found this lesson useful 🙂
The video is very good and useful but the spiking language is very fast . I hope some slowly if you can and thank you so much
Turn on subtitles if you are struggling to follow this lesson.
Really helped one because yours explanation marvellous
Glad this lesson helps 🙂
One of the best way to teach. Thanks a lot 😊
That’s very informative and useful. But let me to correct one word which is “analyse” but not “anaylse” on top of page/lesson. I am so sorry about that wrong typed word. Thanks a lot for your understanding.
Best Regards
Ugur KUCUKKALE
good
Thank you very much, please if you can explain all the lessons this way,and the tenses Thank you very much
Glad you found this lesson useful, thanks for the suggestion 🙂
what is the correct way to say it: the police asked me if I had seen anything or the police asked me if I have seen anything?
Now I need an answer as well xD
it is good for me.
Glad you found this lesson useful 🙂
Plz describe use of “have had”
hi mam… can u plz help me by explaining all tenses/
here you can find a link to all my grammar lessons : https://englishteacheradriana.com/category/english-grammar-lessons/
Your lesson really helped me lot I am looking forward to learn more from you
I am having a problem when I have to expressing myself in English infront of people, I lose confidence and end up forgetting vocabulary and begging to started. The current job I’m am doing require more public speaking and I find it very stressful communicating in English, please help
Thanks for your great question. Check out this lesson I made on how to speak confidently in English. Click here: https://englishteacheradriana.com/how-to-speak-english-confidently/
Do you say You will pursue the matter if you do not get an answer after the medical assessment “has or had” been carried out
You had a very comprehensive explanation that everyone especially the English teachers and other professional can understand. Thanks you for sharing this one.
Glad that you were able to follow and understand the lesson 🙂
Can I say “I asked him how he’d done in the market crash that was in the news” or does it have to be “…that had been in the news.” Thank you.
was a great course
Glad you found the video useful 🙂
Grateful and I have cleared my doubtful. Thank you.
Glad you found this lesson useful 🙂
Your explanation on the perfect tense is the best ever heard.
I hope many people learn from you and improve their English skill quickly and correctly.
Kudos to you.
Glad that this lesson helps 🙂
Thank you it helped me to understand better.
Glad it helped 🙂
It is good example
If you will give some idea over the-
I have had my lunch.
Simple video with a great explanation for those, like me, who doesn’t speak English confidently.
Glad you found this video lesson useful 🙂
Hi
Very informative
she had struggled or she had struggle
I didn’t see but comments are influenced me to watch it
Glad this lesson helps 🙂
Thank you so much! I was wracking my brain over this for a long time and you explained it so simply I finally got it. Thank you^^
Glad this lesson helped you understand this 🙂
When do one use had been?
Beautiful write up.
Is it “I heard the competition has been postponed” Or “I heard the competition have been postponed” ?
Which sentence is correct, please?
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ɡreat topic. I must spend some time learning much more or figuring out more.
Thanks for wonderful information I was looking for this information for my missiоn.
At this time I am going to do my breakfast, after having my breakfast coming over
again to read further news.