Using 'Had' to Talk about the Past in English
Understanding 'Had'
The verb "had" is the past tense of "have." In English, you use "had" to talk about something that happened in the past. For example, if you wanted to say that you ate breakfast today, you would say "I had breakfast today."
When to Use 'Had'
It's important to use "had" when you're talking about something that is no longer happening in the present. So if you ate breakfast a few hours ago, you would say "I had breakfast this morning," not "I have breakfast this morning."
Simple Explanation in Bahasa
Gampangnya, had itu "pernah punya, tapi sekarang udah enggak"
Examples
| Present (have) | Past (had) |
|---|---|
| I have a dream aku punya mimpi (sekarang, masih ada mimpinya) |
I had a dream aku pernah punya mimpi (dulu doang, sekarang udah enggak) |
| I have a car | I had a car |
| She has a job | She had a job |
Common Uses
- Past possessions: "I had a bike when I was young"
- Past experiences: "We had a great time at the party"
- Past states: "She had long hair before"
- Past activities: "They had lunch together yesterday"
Practice Sentences
- I had breakfast at 7 AM today
- She had a beautiful garden last year
- They had three cats before moving
- We had a meeting this morning
- He had many friends in school
Source: English Fess on Twitter