have
past tense and past participle of have
Past tense and past participle of "have"; used to show possession, experience, or obligation in the past, or to form perfect tenses.
Definitions
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1
Possessed or owned something in the past.
“She had a beautiful garden before she moved to the city.”
She possessed a beautiful garden before she moved to the city.
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2
Experienced or underwent something in the past.
“The team had a great time at the annual company event.”
The team experienced a great time at the annual company event.
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3
Used as an auxiliary verb to form the past perfect tense (had + past participle).
“By noon, the workers had already finished the main repairs.”
Before noon arrived, the workers finished the main repairs (earlier in the past).
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4
Was required or obligated to do something (had to).
“The students had to submit their assignments before Friday.”
The students were required to submit their assignments before Friday.
Conjugation
Present
| I | have |
| you | have |
| he / she / it | has |
| we | have |
| they | have |
Simple Past
| I | had |
| you | had |
| he / she / it | had |
| we | had |
| they | had |
Future (will)
| I | will have |
| you | will have |
| he / she / it | will have |
| we | will have |
| they | will have |
Past Perfect
| I | had had |
| you | had had |
| he / she / it | had had |
| we | had had |
| they | had had |
Present Perfect
| I | have had |
| you | have had |
| he / she / it | has had |
| we | have had |
| they | have had |
"Had" serves a double duty: it is both the simple past tense AND the past participle of "have." As a main verb it expresses past possession or experience; as an auxiliary it builds the past perfect ("had eaten," "had gone"). The phrase "had to" expresses past obligation and is the past form of "have to" (must).