Here’s a table that summarizes the rules for using the helping verbs “has,” “have,” and “had” in English:
| Helping Verb | Usage | Subject Type | Example |
| Has | Present perfect tense | Singular third-person (he, she, it) | He has finished his homework. |
| Have | Present perfect tense | Plural subjects (we, they) or singular first-person (I) and second-person (you) | They have visited the museum. I have seen that movie. |
| Had | Past perfect tense | All subjects (singular/plural) | She had left before the rain started. They had already eaten dinner. |
Explanation:
- Present Perfect Tense (“Has” and “Have”):
- Used to describe an action that occurred at an unspecified time before now.
- “Has” is used with singular third-person subjects (he, she, it).
- “Have” is used with plural subjects (we, they) and with singular first-person (I) and second-person (you).
- Past Perfect Tense (“Had”):
- Used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.
- “Had” is used for all subjects, both singular and plural.
This table should help clarify the usage of “has,” “have,” and “had” in different grammatical contexts!
| Person | Singular | Plural | Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| 1st Person | I | We | I have gone. We have gone. | I had gone. We had gone. |
| 2nd Person | You | You (all) | You have gone. You all have gone. | You had gone. You all had gone. |
| 3rd Person | He/She/It | They | He/She/It has gone. They have gone. | He/She/It had gone. They had gone. |
Results
#1. Somebody _____ left a message on your desk.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Somebody” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#2. Several of the guests _____ left before the ceremony began.
ANSWER: had
Explanation: “Several” is treated as plural, and “had” is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action completed before another past event.
#3. A bunch of grapes _____ been placed in the fridge.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “A bunch” is a singular subject, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#4. They _____ already left when I arrived.
ANSWER: had
Explanation: Use “had” with plural subjects (they) in the past perfect tense.
#5. Both of the candidates _____ given excellent presentations.
ANSWER: have
Explanation: “Both” is treated as plural, so use “have” in the present perfect tense.
#6. We _____ cleaned the house before the party.
ANSWER: had
Explanation: Use “had” with plural subjects (we) in the past perfect tense.
#7. The family _____ celebrated their anniversary with a big party.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Family” is a singular collective noun, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#8. Others _____ not agreed with the decision.
ANSWER: have
Explanation: “Others” is treated as plural, so use “have” in the present perfect tense.
#9. Each of the employees _____ completed their training sessions.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Each” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#10. Everybody _____ been waiting for the announcement.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Everybody” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect progressive (continuous) tense.
#11. Many of the participants _____ completed the training.
ANSWER: have
Explanation: “Many” is treated as plural, so use “have” in the present perfect tense.
#12. The luggage _____ arrived at the destination.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Luggage” is a singular subject, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#13. A band of musicians _____ performed at the festival.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “A band” is a singular collective noun, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#14. Someone _____ left a message for you.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Someone” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#15. Few _____ responded to the invitation.
ANSWER: have
Explanation: “Few” is treated as plural, so use “have” in the present perfect tense.
#16. No one _____ seen that movie before.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “No one” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
#17. We _____ finished our lunch before the meeting started.
ANSWER: had
Explanation: Use “had” with plural subjects (we) in the past perfect tense.
#18. The artist and her assistant _____ prepared for the exhibition.
ANSWER: have
Explanation: “Artist and her assistant” is a plural subject, so use “have” in the present perfect tense.
#19. He _____ not called me yesterday.
ANSWER: had
Explanation: Use “had” for all subjects in the past perfect tense to indicate an action completed before another past action.
#20. Nothing _____ been done about the issue.
ANSWER: has
Explanation: “Nothing” is treated as singular, so use “has” in the present perfect tense.
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