Quiz: Mastering Have, Has, & Had

Test your knowledge with these three quizzes. If you get an answer wrong, a "Show Rule" button will appear to help you learn.

Test 1: Choose the Correct Option

1. My neighbor's dog _______ a very loud bark.
Rule: Use 'has' for a singular subject (dog) in the present tense.
2. Last year, we _______ a wonderful holiday in Cape Town.
Rule: Use 'had' for actions or possession in the past (Last year).
3. _______ you ever seen a lion in the wild?
Rule: Use 'Have' to start a present perfect question with 'you'.
4. She couldn't call me because she _______ lost her phone.
Rule: Use 'had' (past perfect) because losing the phone happened before she couldn't call (another past action).
5. I _______ a great idea for our project!
Rule: Use 'have' for possession in the present tense with 'I'.
6. He _______ finished all his work for the day.
Rule: Use 'has' for the present perfect tense with 'he'.
7. They _______ already left when we got there.
Rule: Use 'had' (past perfect) because leaving happened before we got there (another past action).
8. This old car _______ a lot of problems recently.
Rule: Use 'has' for the present perfect tense with a singular subject (car).
9. We _______ a meeting every Monday morning.
Rule: Use 'have' to talk about a present routine or habit with 'we'.
10. Before 2020, she _______ never traveled outside of South Africa.
Rule: Use 'had' to describe an experience before a specific time in the past (Before 2020).

Test 2: Fill in the Blanks

Write have, has, or had in the blanks.

1. He _______ a terrible headache yesterday.
Rule: Use 'had' for a past event (yesterday).
2. My parents _______ been married for 25 years.
Rule: Use 'have' for the present perfect tense with a plural subject (parents) to describe something that started in the past and is still true.
3. The kitchen _______ a strange smell right now.
Rule: Use 'has' for a singular subject (kitchen) in the present tense.
4. I _______ to finish my chores before I can go out.
Rule: 'Have to' is a modal verb expressing obligation in the present with 'I'.
5. She finally understood the lesson after she _______ spoken to the teacher.
Rule: Use 'had' (past perfect) because speaking to the teacher happened before she understood (another past action).
6. They _______ two cats and a dog.
Rule: Use 'have' for present possession with 'they'.
7. _______ he called you yet?
Rule: Use 'Has' to start a present perfect question with 'he'.
8. We _______ fun at the party last night.
Rule: Use 'had' for a past event (last night).
9. It _______ been raining all morning.
Rule: Use 'has' for the present perfect continuous tense with 'it'.
10. I wish I _______ studied harder for the exam.
Rule: Use 'had' to express a regret about the past (a hypothetical past situation).

Test 3: Multiple Choice

1. They _______ lived in Durban their whole lives.

Rule: Use 'have' for the present perfect with 'they' to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

2. Before last week, he _______ never eaten sushi.

Rule: Use 'had' to describe something that was true up until a specific point in the past (Before last week).

3. She _______ a very important meeting tomorrow morning.

Rule: Use 'has' for a future plan or schedule with 'she'. It functions like the present tense here.

4. I _______ no idea the test was today!

Rule: Use 'had' to express a state of being in the past. The moment of realization is in the past.

5. My computer _______ been acting strangely all day.

Rule: Use 'has' for the present perfect continuous with a singular subject (computer).

6. How many jobs _______ you had in your life?

Rule: Use 'have' for a present perfect question with 'you' asking about life experience up to now.

7. By the time he was 20, he _______ visited ten countries.

Rule: Use 'had' (past perfect) to describe an action completed before a specific time in the past (By the time he was 20).

8. All the students _______ to submit their essays by Friday.

Rule: Use 'have to' to express obligation for a plural subject (students).

9. I think she _______ a wonderful voice.

Rule: Use 'has' for present possession or characteristic with 'she'.

10. The company _______ a lot of success in the 1990s.

Rule: Use 'had' for possession in a finished past time period (in the 1990s).