Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ...Class 9 English Chapter 1 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ...

We use 'have' many times a day without noticing. It can work as a helping (auxiliary) verb or as a main verb.

As a helping verb, 'have' builds the perfect tenses (They have arrived. I had forgotten.) and their negatives (They haven't arrived.).

As a main verb, 'have' carries its own meaning: owning or possessing something, having relatives, eating or drinking, taking part in events and experiences, and suffering from an illness.

When 'have' is a main verb, the lesson tells us to use it in the simple present or simple past, not in the -ing form: say 'I have a bicycle', not 'I am having a bicycle'.

For negatives of the main verb we use 'do': 'He doesn't have a car', not 'He hasn't a car'.

Key points to remember

• 'Have' is a versatile verb — it can do many jobs
• Auxiliary (helping) 'have' forms perfect tenses: have/has/had + past participle
• Main verb 'have' — possession: My friend has a pet cat
• Ownership: Our school has six computers
• Relationships: I have two sisters
• Eating or drinking: We have breakfast at 8 a.m.
• Events, activities and experiences: Let us have a party; I have a meeting this evening
• Medical or physical condition: I have a headache; He has a cold
• Do not say 'I am having a bicycle' or 'He is having a cold' — use the simple form
• Negative of main 'have': use do / does / did + not + have

Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ... – Notes

1. Helping verb or main verb?

• Helping verb: 'have' comes before another verb's past participle to make the present perfect or past perfect. Examples: She has finished her work. We had left before it rained.
• Negative with the helping verb: just add 'not' — She hasn't finished. We hadn't left.
• Main verb: 'have' is the only verb in the sentence and has its own meaning. Example: I have a new pen.
• Test: if you can replace 'have' with 'own', 'eat', 'take' or 'suffer from', it is a main verb.

2. Six uses of 'have' as a main verb

• Possession — something you hold or keep: I have a red umbrella.
• Ownership — something that belongs to a person or a body: The library has ten thousand books.
• Relationships — family and friends: My uncle has three sons.
• Eating or drinking — meals, food, drinks: Shall we have lunch now? Have some juice.
• Events, activities and experiences — a bath, a party, a break, a meeting, a good time: We had a picnic last Sunday.
• Medical or physical condition — illnesses and pains: She has a fever. My grandmother had an operation.

3. Rules: tense and negatives

• The lesson's rule: as a main verb, 'have' is used in the simple present (have/has) or simple past (had).
• Wrong: I am having a bicycle. Right: I have a bicycle. Wrong: He is having a cold. Right: He has a cold.
• Wrong: I am having a lot of homework. Right: I have a lot of homework.
• Negative: use the auxiliary 'do'. Wrong: He hasn't a car. Right: He doesn't have a car. Past: I didn't have time.
• Questions too use 'do': Do you have a cycle? Does she have a brother? Did you have a good time?

4. Building vocabulary with common verbs

• Verbs like go, get, put, catch and pass have many meanings, especially when joined with prepositions or adverbs (phrasal verbs) or used in idioms.
• Phrasal verb: verb + small word that gives a new meaning, e.g. put off = postpone, get over = recover.
• Idiom: a fixed phrase whose meaning is different from its words, e.g. catch someone's eye = attract attention.
• Use a good dictionary: each meaning is numbered, with example sentences.

Uses of 'have' at a glance

Key terms

Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ... – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ... – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Have you thought of the verb ‘have’ ...

⏱ About 20 minutes

1. Read (5 min)
   Read the lesson and mark each 'have' as helping (H) or main (M).
2. Learn (8 min)
   Learn the six main-verb uses with one example each, and the two rules: no -ing form, and negatives with 'do'.
3. Practise (7 min)
   Answer the 'Try it yourself' questions, take the quiz and play 🎮 Play.