Difference Between Has & Had

Has vs Had

In English grammar, understanding the distinction between “has” and “had” is crucial, as both words function as auxiliary verbs. They differ in terms of tense and usage. Firstly, it’s important to know that “had” is the past tense of “has.” “Has” is one of the two present forms of the verb “have,” which is primarily used as a verb and an auxiliary verb. Sometimes, in informal contexts, “have” is used as a noun, such as in the expression “haves and have-nots,” referring to rich and poor people.

What does Has mean?

“Has” is used in the present perfect tense, as demonstrated in the following sentence:
It has rained in the morning.
The present perfect tense is used to indicate an action or event that has just occurred or happened a few moments before the speaker has spoken. In the example above, the rain stopped when the speaker said, “It has rained in the morning.” Sometimes, the speaker can use the same sentence when referring to “another spell of rain,” saying, “It has rained in the morning. Now it is raining again.”

Interestingly, “has” is also used in continuous tense, such as present perfect continuous tense. Observe the following sentence:
It has been raining ever since the morning.
In this sentence, the speaker is discussing an event that began in the past and continues up to the present, which is an action belonging to the present perfect continuous tense. In this tense, “has” is also used as an auxiliary verb.

What does Had mean?

Conversely, “had” is used in the past perfect tense, as shown in this example:
He had studied well during his childhood days.
The use of “had” in this sentence indicates something that happened long ago, rather than in the immediate past, which is the main difference between “has” and “had.”

Furthermore, “had” is used to indicate a possibility, as in this sentence:
Had he come a bit earlier, he could have caught the plane.
In this sentence, the use of “had” suggests a possibility that he could have caught the plane if he had arrived a bit earlier.

Interestingly, “had” is also used in continuous tense, such as past perfect continuous tense. Observe this sentence:
He had been telling the truth, but none listened to him.
In the sentence above, the past perfect continuous tense uses “had” as an auxiliary verb.

What is the difference between Has and Had?

• The verb “has” is used in the present perfect tense.
• On the other hand, the verb “had” is used in the past perfect tense.
• Moreover, the verb “had” is used to indicate a possibility.
• Both “has” and “had” are used in continuous tense, such as present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous.