Difference Between Had & Have

Had vs Have

The distinction between Had and Have lies in the tenses in which they are utilized. Before discussing the difference between have and had, it is essential to understand that have and had are two auxiliary verbs in the English language, and their usages vary. Both are different forms of the verb ‘to have,’ with Have being the present form and Had being the past form. As an auxiliary verb, have is used in present perfect tense, while had is used in past perfect tense, which is the main difference between the two auxiliary verbs.

Key Takeaways

• Have is the present form of the verb ‘to have,’ while Had is the past form.
• As an auxiliary verb, have is used in present perfect tense, and had is used in past perfect tense.
• Have is used with plural nouns and pronouns, while Had is used with both singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

What does Have mean?

The verb have is a present tense form of the verb ‘to have.’ For example:

• I have a pen.
• They have three cars.
• The policemen have batons in their hands.

In all these sentences, have is used as the verb. However, it should be noted that have is used only with plural nouns or pronouns. Observe the two sentences given below:

• I have come to see you.
• You have given me a book yesterday.

In both these sentences, the auxiliary verb have is used in the present perfect tense. Moreover, it is used either with the first person or with the second person. The auxiliary verb have cannot be used with the third person, which uses the verb has. Additionally, the verb have is also used in the formation of questions, such as ‘have you been to London before?’

What does Had mean?

The verb had is the past tense form of the verb ‘to have.’ For example:

• She had a bag.
• I had an umbrella.
• They had a huge quarrel.

You can see that had is used with both singular and plural nouns and pronouns. Furthermore, the auxiliary verb had is used in the case of the first person, second person, and third person past perfect tense. Observe the three sentences:

• I had seen a bad dream the night before.
• You had given up the idea long back.
• She had come here several years ago.

In all these sentences, the auxiliary verb had is used in the case of the past perfect tense of the first person, second person, and third person, respectively. Additionally, had has a unique usage in sentences constructed according to conditional tenses, such as ‘had you been late, we would have missed the train.’

What is the difference between Had and Have?

• Have is a present form of the verb ‘to have,’ while had is the past form.
• As an auxiliary verb, have is used in the case of present perfect tense, while had is used in the case of past perfect tense.
• Have is used with only plural nouns and pronouns, while had is used with both singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

These are the critical differences between the two verbs have and had.