Past Tense of “have”
The past simple of “have” is “had” and the past participle is “had”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “have”
have – had – had
own, possess; also the helper verb in perfect tenses
- Base form
- have/hæv/
- Past simple
- had/hæd/
- Past participle
- had/hæd/
- -ing form
- having
- He / she / it
- has
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
We had pizza for dinner last night.
Past participle
I have had this phone for three years.
Past simple
She had a cold, so she stayed home.
The most common mistake
Wrong
I have this car since 2020.
Correct
I have had this car since 2020.
For something that started in the past and is still true, use the present perfect: “have had”. Here “have” is the helper and “had” is the main verb.
Verbs with the same pattern
Past = participle. Learn these together.