The verb “to have” shows possession in English. We use the affirmative present tense to show that we possess something at the moment.^[1]https://www.lingokids.com/english-for-kids/verb-to-have After, the verb “to be”, it is the second most important verb in English.

Affirmative

You can use the affirmative of “to have” to show that you possess something right now.

• I have
  a dog.
• You have a
  cat.
• He has a
  parrot.
• She has
  two dogs.
• It has
  a fever.
• We have a
  big pool.
• They have
  a nice car.

Negative

You can use the negative of “to have” to show that you don’t possess something right now.

• I do not
  have a dog.
• You do
  not have a cat.
• He does
  not have a parrot.
• She does
  not have two dogs.
• It does
  not have a fever.
• We do not
  have a big pool.
• They do
  not have a nice car.

Questions

You can use the question form of to ask someone if they possess something right now.

• Do I have a dog?
• Do
  you have a cat?
• Does
  he have a parrot?
• Does
  she have two dogs?
• Does
  it have a fever?
• Do we
  have a big pool?
• Do they
  have a nice car?

Example Conversation

A: Hi John! How are you?

B: Hi Susie! I am good. How are you?

A: I am good too! I have a question for you. Do you have a dog?

B: Yes, I have a dog.

A: Is it a male or female?

B: It is a female.

A: Does she have puppies?

B: Yes, she has 3 puppies.

A: Can I have one?

B: Yes, you can have one.

A: Thanks!

B: You are welcome!

Additional Notes: Can + have = asking for permission to possess something. For example, when you ask “can I have a dog”, you are asking for permission to possess the dog.

Practice Exercises

Conclusion

How did you do? If some questions were tricky a private lesson can help you master this topic quickly.