I hope everyone is having a very Happy New Year so far! I think 2019 is going to be a great year! This year, I’m looking forward to eating healthier, learning new recipes, getting more exercise, and writing many more lessons for all the English learners out there. How about you? Do you have any plans or goals for 2019?
Let’s start the year with a great verb: TO HAVE.
The verb to have is everywhere in English. It’s used to form the present perfect (Have you ever celebrated New Year’s Eve in another country?) and it’s also used in many common conversational expressions. (Would you like to have dinner at our house?)
We can start with looking at some basic greetings/conversational vocabulary.
- Have a great day!
- Have a nice weekend!
- I had a great time at the holiday party.
- Did you have a nice trip/visit/vacation/holiday?
Have is used in hundreds of everyday English expressions. Here are some of the different ways you can use have instead of other verbs.
Have = To Own
Perhaps the most obvious meaning is to own something, meaning it’s yours.
- I have a house.
- She has a nice car.
- They have a good job.
- We have a large family.
Besides ownership, there are more meanings for the verb to have.
Have = To Be Sick, for Diseases and Illnesses
- I’ve had this cold for a week.
- I have a headache.
- She had a stomachache after eating too much candy.
- Does anyone in your family have diabetes?
- Do you have any allergies?
Have a Dream, a Nightmare
- I have a dream to own my own business.
- I had a nightmare about my job last night.
Have Sex
- Some people wait until after marriage to have sex.
- The boss should never have sex with employees.
Have = To Eat and Drink, For Meals
- I had breakfast, but I didn’t have lunch. I’m starving!
- I’ll have a hamburger and french fries, please.
- I had three beers after work.
- I’m having dinner at my friend’s house tomorrow night.
Have a Fight, Have Problems
- We had a huge fight yesterday and we are still not speaking.
- Call me if you have any problems or questions.
Have an Idea
- I have a great idea: let’s take a vacation!
- He has no idea where he parked the car.
- Steve Jobs had a lot of great ideas for technology.
Have a Party
- We always have a party at our house for New Year’s Eve.
- If you have a birthday party, where do you want to have it?
Have a Baby, Children
- My sister had a baby last month.
- Most women prefer to have their babies at a hospital.
Have Plans
- Do you have plans for the New Year?
- I like to have an itinerary before I travel.
- I have an appointment with my agent this weekend.
- We have too many meetings at work, don’t you think?
- I have no doubt you will understand this lesson.
I hope you had fun and learned some new ways of speaking from this lesson. Do you have any more examples or questions? Leave me a comment on the post. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Have a great day!
