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have: auxiliary verb

Grammar

have + past participle

Perfect verb forms

We use have as an auxiliary verb with past participles, to make perfect verb forms.

  • You’ve heard about Daniel and Corinne? (present perfect: (see here), (see here)
  • I realised that I had met him before. (past perfect: (see here))
  • We’ll have been living here for two years next Sunday. (future perfect progressive: (see here))
  • I’d like to have lived in the eighteenth century. (perfect infinitive: (see here))
  • Having been there before, he knew what to expect. (perfect participle)

Questions and negatives

Like all auxiliary verbs, have makes questions and negatives without do.

  • Have you heard the news? (not Do you have heard ...?)
  • I haven’t seen them. (not I don’t have seen them.)

Progressive forms

There are no progressive forms of the auxiliary verb have.

  • I haven’t seen her anywhere. (not I’m not having seen her anywhere.)
note

For contractions, (see here).

For weak forms, (see here).