Author Topic: Have, has or had?  (Read 14310 times)

solid9

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 53
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Have, has or had?
« on: March 16, 2018, 08:47:41 AM »
Which is correct for this sentence below?

I dreamed that my best friend has died
I dreamed that my best friend had died
I dreamed that my best friend have died

and why?
If you saw my grammar is wrong, then correct me if I'm wrong. This is why I'm here to learn English.

Joe Carillo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4779
  • Karma: +220/-2
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Have, has or had?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2018, 02:43:45 PM »
Sentences 1 and 2 are both grammatically correct. In Sentence 1, the dreamer dreamed that his best friend died only recently, hence the use of the present perfect "has died." In Sentence 2, the dreamer dreamed that his bets friend died at some unspecified time in the long past or in the not so recent past, hence the use of the past perfect "had died."

Sentence 3 is grammatically incorrect because it uses the wrong plural form "have died" for the clearly singular "best friend." It should use the singular "has died" or "had died" instead, observing the conditions specified in Sentences 1 and 2.

solid9

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 53
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Have, has or had?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2018, 09:42:02 PM »
Sentences 1 and 2 are both grammatically correct. In Sentence 1, the dreamer dreamed that his best friend died only recently, hence the use of the present perfect "has died." In Sentence 2, the dreamer dreamed that his bets friend died at some unspecified time in the long past or in the not so recent past, hence the use of the past perfect "had died."

Sentence 3 is grammatically incorrect because it uses the wrong plural form "have died" for the clearly singular "best friend." It should use the singular "has died" or "had died" instead, observing the conditions specified in Sentences 1 and 2.


Thanks very helpful I'm rally learnin from you and this site.
If you saw my grammar is wrong, then correct me if I'm wrong. This is why I'm here to learn English.