When do I use had have had has had had
Any verb using "have" or "has" as its auxiliary verb is in the present perfect tense.
has walked
have walked
has taught
have taught
has gone
have gone
etc.
Any verb using "had" as its auxiliary verb is in the past perfect tense.
had walked
had taught
had gone
etc.
The same can be said for the verb "to have" --
She has had two sandwiches for lunch each day this week.
They have had this television service for two years.
If he had had a sandwich for lunch, he wouldn't be hungry now.
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html = present perfect
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html = past perfect
Check out the other tenses in the list at the left.
The phrases "had," "have had," "had had," and "has had" all involve the verb "to have" but are used in different tenses and contexts. Let's break down their meanings and when to use each one:
1. "Had": This is the past tense of the verb "to have." It is used to indicate possession or ownership in the past. For example:
- I had a car. (Referring to owning a car in the past)
2. "Have had": This is used in the present perfect tense. It indicates an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. For example:
- I have had a headache all day. (Referring to having a headache that started in the past and is still present)
3. "Had had": This is used in the past perfect tense. It indicates an action that happened before another past action. For example:
- She had had breakfast before leaving for work. (Referring to the act of having breakfast that happened before leaving for work in the past)
4. "Has had": This is used in the present perfect tense for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it). It also indicates an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. For example:
- She has had three cups of coffee today. (Referring to the fact that she has consumed three cups of coffee today)
To determine which form to use, consider the tense needed in the sentence (past, present perfect, or past perfect) and the subject of the sentence (first-person singular, third-person singular, etc.).