Cómo usar have para expresar posesiones

Talking about what you own in English is simple when you master the verb have. In the simple present, have expresses possessions clearly in affirmative, negative, and question forms. With I, you, we, they, the pattern stays the same, using the auxiliary do for questions and don’t for negatives, plus natural intonation for yes/no questions.

What are possessions and how do you use have?

Possessions are things that belong to you, like a house, a laptop, or a motorcycle. To say something is yours, use have in the simple present with I, you, we, they. Nothing changes in the verb form across these subjects.

• “I have a cell phone.” Affirmative sentence.
• “I don’t have a cell phone.” Negative sentence.
• “Do I have a cell phone?” Yes/no question with rising intonation.

Key ideas: use have to show ownership. Keep have the same for I, you, we, they. Use do or don’t as needed.

How do affirmative sentences with have work?

Use the structure: subject + have + complement. The subject is the person who does the action, have is the verb, and the complement names the thing you own.

• “I have a laptop.”
• “You have a motorcycle.”
• “We have a laptop.”
• “They have a laptop.”

Nothing changes in have for these subjects.

How do negative sentences with have work?

Use the structure: subject + don’t (do not) + have + complement. Place don’t before have. The main verb have does not change.

• “I don’t have a motorcycle.”
• “You don’t have a motorcycle.”
• “We don’t have a motorcycle.”
• “They don’t have a motorcycle.”

Tip: don’t is the negative element that makes the sentence negative.

How do questions with have work?

Use the structure: do + subject + have + complement + ?. Add do at the beginning and use rising intonation.

• “Do I have a laptop?”
• “Do you have a laptop?”
• “Do we have a laptop?”
• “Do they have a laptop?”

Here, do is the auxiliary that forms the question. Have is the action. End with a question mark and raise your voice slightly.

What changes with subjects I, you, we, they in simple present?

For these subjects, have stays the same in affirmative, negative, and questions. Only the subject changes.

• Affirmative: subject + have + complement.
• Negative: subject + don’t + have + complement.
• Questions: do + subject + have + complement + ?.

To answer yes/no questions, keep the auxiliary pattern consistent.

How do you answer yes or no questions correctly?

Match the auxiliary in your answer. Use do or don’t.

• “Do I have a laptop?” → “Yes, I do.”
• “Do you have a motorcycle?” Two possible answers were discussed: “No, you have not” and “No, you don’t.” The correct one here is “No, you don’t.” The form “you have not” is an advanced topic and not correct in this context.

Vocabulary focus: subject, verb, complement, auxiliary do, negative don’t, simple present, intonation, question mark.

How can you practice with real examples?

Apply the patterns with everyday nouns. Write your own affirmative, negative, and questions using have. Practice improves accuracy and confidence.

• “Do you have a dog?” Write your answer using yes/no forms.
• “Do you have a house?” Add one affirmative and one negative sentence.
• “Do you have an airplane?” Create a question and an answer.

Share your sentences in the comments: use I, you, we, they in affirmative, negative, and questions.