Hello, young language learners! Welcome to our grammar classroom. Today we explore a common phrase. We study when they have. This helps us talk about time and possession together.
The words when and have often appear together. When shows time. Have shows possession or experience. Together they create sentences about what happens at certain times.
Let us open our grammar books. Let us discover how to use when they have correctly. By the end of this lesson, using this phrase will feel natural and easy.
Meaning When we talk about when they have, we mean using the word when to introduce a time, followed by they have. This creates a time clause.
When they have time, they play games. This means at the moment they have time, they play. When they have money, they buy toys. This means whenever they have money, they buy toys. When they have fun, they laugh loudly. This means at times when they experience fun, they laugh.
The word when connects two ideas. One idea is the condition or time. The other idea is what happens then.
They have shows possession or experience for a group of people. They means more than one person. Have is the present tense form for they.
Conjugation Now let us look at conjugation for when they have. The verb have changes for different subjects.
Present tense: When I have When you have When he has When she has When it has When we have When they have
Notice that have changes to has for he, she, and it. This is important for correct grammar.
When he has time, he plays. When she has money, she shops. When it has food, it eats.
For they, we use have. When they have time, they play.
Past tense: When I had When you had When he had When she had When it had When we had When they had
In past tense, had works for everyone. When they had time, they played.
Future tense: When I have When you have When he has When she has When it has When we have When they have
In future time clauses, we use present tense, not future. When they have time tomorrow, they will play. Not when they will have.
Present Tense Let us focus on the present tense with when they have. This shows what happens regularly when a condition is met.
When they have free time, they watch movies. This happens regularly. When they have questions, they ask the teacher. This is a habit. When they have energy, they run outside. This is a pattern.
The main clause can use present tense too. When they have snacks, they share them. This shows a general truth.
Or the main clause can use future meaning. When they have money, they will buy presents. But in the when clause, we still use present tense.
Past Tense Now we move to the past tense with when they have. In past, we use when they had.
When they had time yesterday, they watched a movie. When they had questions, they asked the teacher. When they had energy, they ran outside.
The past tense shows that both the condition and the result happened in the past. They are finished now.
When they had a party, everyone had fun. When they had a test, they studied hard. When they had a problem, they solved it together.
Future Tense Let us look at the future tense with when they have. In future time clauses, we use present tense in the when clause.
When they have time tomorrow, they will play soccer. When they have money next week, they will buy new shoes. When they have a chance, they will visit Grandma.
The main clause uses will or going to for future. The when clause uses present tense. This is a special rule in English.
We do not say "when they will have time." That is incorrect. We say "when they have time" even when talking about the future.
Questions Now let us make questions with when they have. Questions can ask about time and conditions.
For information questions, when often comes at the beginning. When do they have free time? When does she have a chance to play? When did they have the party?
For yes/no questions about conditions, we use if. Do they have fun when they play? Did they have snacks when they watched the movie? Will they have energy when they run?
Short answers use the helping verb. Do they have fun? Yes, they do. Did they have snacks? No, they didn't.
Other Uses The phrase when they have has other uses too. It appears in different grammar situations.
When they have to for obligation: When they have to study, they go to the library. When they have to leave, they say goodbye. When they had to work, they got up early.
When they have + noun for experiences: When they have a dream, they write it down. When they have an idea, they share it. When they have a feeling, they talk about it.
When they have been for perfect tenses: When they have been to Paris, they tell stories. When they have finished dinner, they do dishes.
When they have got for possession (British English): When they have got time, they call. When they have got money, they travel.
Learning Tips Here are some helpful tips for mastering when they have. These tips will make learning faster and easier.
Tip 1: Remember Subject-Verb Agreement For he, she, it, use has. For they, use have. When he has, when she has, when it has, when they have. Practice until this feels automatic.
Tip 2: Use Present in Future Time Clauses In sentences about the future, use present tense after when. When they have time tomorrow, they will play. Not when they will have.
Tip 3: Practice with Time Words Use time words with when. When they have time, when they have money, when they have a chance. These are common phrases.
Tip 4: Learn Common Collocations Certain nouns often go with have. Have time, have money, have fun, have a party, have a question, have a problem. Learn these together.
Tip 5: Listen for When Clauses When watching shows or listening to stories, listen for when clauses. Notice the verb tenses. Listening practice helps a lot.
Educational Games Games make grammar practice fun. Here are some games to help understand when they have.
Game 1: Subject-Verb Match Make cards with subjects. I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Make cards with have/has. Players match subjects to the correct form. He matches with has. They matches with have.
Game 2: Sentence Building Give players word cards. Include when, subjects, have/has, and main clauses. When they have time, they play. When she has money, she shops. Players build sentences.
Game 3: Fill in the Blank Write sentences on the board with the verb missing. When they ___ time, they play. When she ___ money, she shops. Players fill in have or has.
Game 4: Error Hunt Write sentences with mistakes on the board. When they has time, they play. When she have money, she shops. When they will have time, they will play. Players find and fix the errors.
Game 5: Match the Clauses Make cards with when clauses on one set and main clauses on another. When they have time, they play. When they have money, they buy toys. Players match them correctly.
Game 6: When Bingo Make bingo cards with different main clauses. They play, they shop, they travel. Call out when clauses. "When they have time." Players cover the matching main clause.
Game 7: Picture Description Show pictures of people doing things. Children make sentences using when. "When they have free time, they play soccer." "When they have money, they buy ice cream."
Game 8: Sentence Scramble Write sentences on strips of paper. Cut between the words. Mix them up. Players put the words in correct order. When they have time they play. When she has money she shops.
Game 9: Spin the Subject Make a spinner with subjects. I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Players spin and must make a when sentence with that subject. Add points for correct sentences.
Game 10: When Relay Race Divide into teams. Give each team a list of main clauses. One player from each team runs to the board, adds a when clause, and runs back. The next player goes. First team to finish correctly wins.
Game 11: True or False Make statements using when. "When they have time, they sleep." Is that true? Discuss. This builds critical thinking.
Game 12: When Song Sing a simple song about when clauses to a familiar tune. "When they have time, they play. When she has money, she shops. When he has fun, he laughs. When clauses never stop!" Repetition in song helps memory.
Game 13: Interview Game Children interview each other using when questions. When do you have fun? When do you have homework? When do you have dinner? They record answers and share.
Game 14: Memory Chain Start a memory chain using when. First person says "When they have time, they play." Next says "When they have time, they play and when they have money, they shop." Continue as long as possible.
Game 15: When/Has Match Make cards with when clauses using he or she. When he has time, when she has money. Make cards with main clauses. He plays, she shops. Players match them correctly.
Game 16: Future Time Practice Call out future time phrases. Tomorrow, next week, next year. Players make sentences using when with present tense. "When they have time tomorrow, they will play."
Game 17: Story Time with When Tell a simple story using when many times. "When the children have free time, they go to the park. When they have energy, they run. When they have money, they buy ice cream." Children listen and raise hands when they hear when.
Game 18: When Charades Act out a when clause without speaking. Pretend to look at a watch, then play. Others guess using when. "When they have time, they play!"
Game 19: When Collage Give children magazines. They cut out pictures of people doing things. They glue them on paper and write sentences using when. "When they have fun, they laugh."
Game 20: When Quiz Create a simple quiz with when questions. "What do you do when you have free time?" "What do they do when they have money?" Children answer in complete sentences.
When they have helps children connect time and conditions. They learn to talk about what happens when certain things are true. They practice subject-verb agreement and time clauses.
Remember that in future time clauses, we use present tense. When they have time tomorrow, they will play. Not when they will have.
Practice using when every day. Talk about what happens when you have time, money, or energy. Ask others about their habits. Soon using when will feel natural.
Keep learning and growing every single day. Happy grammar learning, everyone