having

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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Jededly
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having

Post by Jededly »

Hi! In which cases is the verb "have" used in continuous tenses?
You wouldn't say,"I was having the dog".
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Alan
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Re: having

Post by Alan »

'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.
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