having
Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:11 am
Hi! In which cases is the verb "have" used in continuous tenses?
You wouldn't say,"I was having the dog".
You wouldn't say,"I was having the dog".
'Have' can occur in the progressive form when it functions as what is technically termed a 'dynamic' verb, denoting an action such as eating/drinking (as in 'have a sandwich') or doing/experiencing (as in 'have a lesson/bath/exam, ...').
When it means simply 'own/possess', however, progressive forms are not possible. Thus, as you point out, we would indeed not say
*He was having a dog.