C1 I've Had It - Have: Lexical and Grammatical Uses

C1 GRAMMAR · HAVE

I've Had It

PICTURE

(you add this)

Two years, one flatshare, a missing 600 pounds - and a forum that cannot agree.

possession · dynamic have · have to / have got to · causative · perfect forms · have-idioms

Reading

Speaking

A · LEAD-IN

The fridge test

"You never really know someone until you have shared a fridge with them."

1. Agree or disagree?

2. Now name one small thing a flatmate - or a family member - has done that drove you quietly mad.

PICTURE

(you add this)

B · BEFORE YOU READ

One post, four opinions

Marta, 29, has posted on a flatshare forum about her flatmate Jo. Four people have replied.

READ FOR

1. What are Marta's three complaints about Jo?

2. The replies suggest two opposite courses of action. What are they?

3. First instinct: whose advice would you take?

PICTURE

(you add this)

B · READING

I've had it with my flatmate - confront her or move out?

flatshare-forum.co.uk · Living together · Disputes

Marta_29 · 2 hrs ago

Long-time lurker, first post. I've been sharing a flat with "Jo" for two years, and for most of that time we had a good thing going - film nights, a fair rota, the odd bottle of wine. Not any more.

She's been "borrowing" my things for months. My hairdryer. My olive oil. Once, while I was away, my actual bed. When I mention it, she acts as if I'm having a go at her over nothing.

Then there's the money. In January the boiler died and we had a new one fitted. I paid the plumber the whole 1,200 pounds because Jo was "waiting for payday". She still hasn't paid her share - six hundred pounds. I have every receipt in a folder, so it's not my memory.

Worst of all, ever since a row about a party she threw here while I was at my mum's, I honestly think she's had it in for me: passive-aggressive notes, my post mysteriously in the recycling, total silence in the kitchen. I don't think I've got it in me to have a screaming match, and I haven't got the energy for two more years of this. Something's got to give. Do I have it out with her, or do I quietly start packing?

B · READING (continued)

I've had it with my flatmate - confront her or move out?

DeeSays · 1 hr

You've got to have it out with her - tonight, not "at some point". People like Jo count on you saying nothing. You don't have to shout: have a word, calmly, with the folder open on the table. You've got the receipts - use them. If she laughs it off, well, then you have your answer.

Nesta_B · 1 hr

Hmm. I'm not sure I'd go in that hard - you still have to share a kitchen with this person, remember. Have you actually had one proper, adult conversation about it, or just hints and sighs? Before anything nuclear, maybe have a go at playing the diplomat: cook something, have a laugh together, then raise the money gently. She may not realise how far this has gone.

LurkerNo9 · 45 min

Sorry - the BED?? Is she having you on? Following.

TenancyRay · 20 min

Move out. I've been renting shared flats for fifteen years: I've had post stolen, deposits withheld, the lot, and flatmates like this don't change. I stayed once to "work things out", and three months later I was having the locks changed at my own expense. If she's genuinely got it in for you, no chat will fix that. Life's too short.

C · COMPREHENSION

Who wrote it?

Match each line to its poster: Marta · Dee · Nesta · Lurker · Ray. Then decide: which two replies flatly contradict each other?

1. She's been borrowing my things for months.

2. I have every receipt in a folder, so it's not my memory.

3. I don't think I've got it in me to have a screaming match.

4. You've got to have it out with her - tonight, not "at some point".

5. You don't have to shout: have a word, calmly.

6. You still have to share a kitchen with this person.

7. Is she having you on?

8. Three months later I was having the locks changed at my own expense.

D · GRAMMAR FOCUS

One verb, six jobs

Every bold phrase in 1-8 uses have - but have is doing six different jobs. Sort the eleven bold phrases into the groups below. Two quotes contain phrases from two different groups.

• A possession / state

• B action or experience

• C obligation

• D arranging - or suffering - an action done by someone else

• E auxiliary building a perfect tense

• F idiom

D · GRAMMAR FOCUS

What exactly changes?

1. Marta says "She's been borrowing my things" - so why could she never say "I've been having every receipt"?

2. Quotes 4, 5 and 6: which obligation is specific and urgent, and which is an ongoing fact of flatshare life? And does don't have to mean mustn't - or something else?

3. Ray had the locks changed and has had post stolen. Who performed each action? What is identical about the two structures - and what is the difference in meaning?

4. Marta writes "she's had it in for me ever since a row"; Ray writes "she's genuinely got it in for you". Unpack the two verb forms: why does Marta's ever since push her towards the perfect?

D · THE RULES

*Have*, in full

Complete the rules with: got · continuous · specific · object · past participle

• Possession and states: have or have ______ (informal, mainly BrE). Stative - so never used in the ______ .

• Actions and experiences: have + noun (a word, a laugh, a row, a go) is dynamic, so continuous forms are fine.

• Obligation: have to = general rules and external obligation; have got to = a ______, often urgent obligation (informal). Don't have to = it isn't necessary.

• Causative: have + ______ + ______ ______ : you arrange or pay for it (have the locks changed) - or it happens to you unwillingly (have your post stolen).

• Auxiliary: have builds every perfect form, simple and continuous.

• Idioms: have it out with sb (confront openly) · have sb on (deceive playfully) · have it in for sb (bear a grudge) · have (got) it in you (be capable of) · have had it (with) (be at the end of your patience) · have a go (at sth = try; at sb = criticise) · have a laugh

CAREFUL

Main-verb have doesn't contract: I've two flatmates - say I have or I've got. Past possession is had, never had got. If it is a state, no -ing: have you been having that sofa - have you had.

E · PRACTICE

Flatshare life: right or wrong?

Mark each bold phrase R (right) or W (wrong) - don't fix anything yet. One item is a genuine grey area: be ready to argue.

1. My last flatmate had got a terrifying collection of taxidermy.

2. I've been having doubts about renewing our contract all week.

3. Has your landlord to approve overnight guests?

4. Marta could simply have the lock on her door changed.

5. How long have you been having that leather sofa?

6. She's got it in for me ever since I reported the noise.

7. In my old flat we had to label everything in the fridge - even eggs.

8. I don't think I've got it in me to argue about washing-up.

E · PRACTICE

A new post - eight problems

Another user has just posted in Marta's thread. Eight have-phrases are wrong. Find them and fix them.

HadEnough_Sam · 5 min ago

Marta, I feel your pain - I've been following this thread all week and I've a very similar story. My flatmate and I are sharing this place since 2023, and at first it was great. Then in spring I had cleaned the oven by a professional company - 90 pounds - and he still didn't pay me his half. When I finally raised it, he just laughed and said I was having him on. Now he's got it in for me since that conversation: my milk keeps vanishing, and last week my post did too. My previous flatmates had got a strict rota, and it worked. Has anyone else to deal with someone like this? And Marta - how long have you been having your spare room? Asking for a friend.

F · SPEAKING

The reply Marta actually needs

Phase 1 - in groups, decide what Marta should really do: confront, play the diplomat, or move out. You must agree. Then draft the 4-6 sentence reply your group would post.

• YOUR REPLY MUST USE SOME OF OUR LANGUAGE WITH HAVE

• Phase 2 - your turn. Prepare a 60-second rant beginning "I've had it with..." about a real pet peeve. Deliver it to your group; each listener asks one follow-up question.

Again, activate have

PICTURE

(you add this)

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

SLIDE 3 GIST 1 Jo "borrows" Marta's things; she hasn't paid her 600-pound share of the new boiler; since the row about the party she seems to have it in for Marta (notes, binned post, silence). 2 Confront her (Dee, and Nesta's softer version) vs move out (Ray). 3 Open - poll only.

SLIDE 5 WHO WROTE IT 1 Marta · 2 Marta · 3 Marta · 4 Dee · 5 Dee · 6 Nesta · 7 Lurker · 8 Ray. Flat contradiction: Dee (confront tonight) vs Ray (don't bother - move out). Nesta contradicts Dee on tone, not on talking itself.

SLIDE 6 SORTING A: have (2) · B: have a screaming match (3), have a word (5) · C: 've got to (4), don't have to (5), have to (6) · D: having the locks changed (8) · E: 's been borrowing (1) · F: 've got it in me (3), have it out with (4), having you on (7). Double-jobbed: 3 (F+B), 4 (C+F), 5 (C+B) - accept any two, praise anyone who spots all three.

SLIDE 7 CONCEPT 1 Borrow is dynamic; have = possession is stative, so no continuous (I have / I've got every receipt). 2 Quote 4 = specific and urgent (have got to, informal); quote 6 = ongoing general fact (have to); don't have to = it isn't necessary, not prohibition. 3 In both, someone else performs the action (a locksmith; a thief); the structure is identical (have + object + past participle); locks changed = arranged and paid for, post stolen = suffered. 4 's got it in for you = present state; 's had it in for me ever since... = present perfect, because ever since measures the state from a past starting point up to now.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

SLIDE 8 RULES got · continuous · specific · object · past participle.

SLIDE 9 RIGHT OR WRONG 1 W - had (no had got for past possession). 2 R (have doubts behaves dynamically here). 3 W - Does your landlord have to approve... 4 R (causative). 5 W - How long have you had (stative). 6 W - She's had it in for me ever since: the grey area. She's got it in for me is fine alone, but ever since + a past reference point wants the perfect; accept a student who deletes ever since and defends 's got. 7 R (general repeated past obligation). 8 R.

SLIDE 10 ERROR CORRECTION 1 I've a very similar story - I have / I've got. 2 are sharing this place since 2023 - have been sharing. 3 I had cleaned the oven by a professional company - I had the oven cleaned. 4 he still didn't pay me - he still hasn't paid. 5 he's got it in for me since - he's had it in for me (ever) since. 6 had got a strict rota - had. 7 Has anyone else to deal with - Does anyone else have to deal with. 8 how long have you been having your spare room - how long have you had. Correct distractor: said I was having him on.

SLIDE 11 Open-ended. Monitor for the four must-use items and for perfect forms in the rants (I've had it with people who..., I've been putting up with... for years).