Are Having vs. Is Having – Which is Correct?
“Are having” and “is having” are both correct forms of the verb phrase “to have.” Use “are having” with plural subjects and you, and “is having” with singular third-person subjects such as he, she, it, or a singular noun. The subject—not the meaning—determines which phrase is grammatical in a sentence.
Are Having or Is Having – Which Is Correct?
“Are having” and “is having” are both grammatically correct. The correct choice depends on the subject of the sentence. Use are having with plural subjects and with you. Use is having with singular third-person subjects, including he, she, it, and singular nouns.
Both phrases usually form the present progressive, also called the present continuous. They describe an action, event, experience, or condition happening now or around the present time.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Look at the subject before the phrase. If you can replace it with they or you, use are having. If you can replace it with he, she, or it, use is having.
For example, “The students” can become “they,” so write “The students are having lunch.” “Maria” can become “she,” so write “Maria is having lunch.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| are having | Verb phrase | Used with plural subjects and “you” for an ongoing action or experience | The guests are having dinner. |
| is having | Verb phrase | Used with singular third-person subjects for an ongoing action or experience | The guest is having dinner. |
How to Use “Are Having”
Use are having when the subject is plural or when the subject is you. The auxiliary verb are agrees with subjects such as we, they, the children, and the companies. The word having is the present participle of have.
This phrase can describe eating or drinking, attending an event, experiencing a problem, holding a discussion, or possessing a temporary experience. It is common in both casual and formal English.
Example 1: We are having dinner at seven o’clock.
Example 2: The engineers are having trouble identifying the cause.
Example 3: You are having an important conversation with your manager.
What Are the Different Forms of “Are Having”?
Are having is the present progressive form used with we, you, and they, as well as plural nouns. Its negative form is are not having or the contraction aren’t having. Its question form places are before the subject: “Are they having a meeting?”
The base verb is have, the simple past form is had, and the past participle is also had. Other progressive forms include were having for the past and will be having for the future.
- Present: They are having a meeting.
- Negative: They are not having a meeting.
- Question: Are they having a meeting?
- Past progressive: They were having a meeting.
- Future progressive: They will be having a meeting.
Etymology of the Word “Are Having”
The phrase combines are, a present-tense form of the verb be, with having, the present participle of have. Have comes from Old English habban, meaning “to possess” or “to hold.” The progressive construction developed from forms of be followed by a present participle.
How to Use “Is Having”
Use is having with a singular third-person subject. Appropriate subjects include he, she, it, a person’s name, or a singular noun such as the company, the patient, or the machine.
Like are having, this phrase commonly describes an activity or experience in progress. It can refer to meals, meetings, difficulties, events, medical experiences, or temporary situations. The phrase is neutral in tone and works in everyday speech, business writing, journalism, and academic contexts.
Example 1: Daniel is having lunch with a client.
Example 2: The patient is having difficulty breathing.
Example 3: The company is having a celebration for its employees.
What Are the Different Forms of “Is Having”?
Is having is the present progressive form used with singular third-person subjects. Its negative form is is not having or isn’t having. To make a question, place is before the subject: “Is she having a good time?”
- Present: She is having a good time.
- Negative: She is not having a good time.
- Question: Is she having a good time?
- Past progressive: She was having a good time.
- Future progressive: She will be having a good time.
Etymology of the Word “Is Having”
The phrase consists of is, the singular third-person present form of be, and having, the present participle of have. The verb have traces back to Old English habban, while be developed from several Old English forms related to existence and identity.
Related Concepts
Understanding subject–verb agreement and progressive verb forms makes the difference between are having and is having easy to identify.
- Subject–verb agreement: A verb must match its subject in number. Plural subjects generally take are, while singular third-person subjects take is.
- Present progressive tense: This tense uses a form of be plus a present participle ending in -ing to describe an action or experience in progress.
- Third-person subjects: He, she, it, names, and singular nouns are third-person subjects and normally require is having.
- Plural subjects: We, you, they, and plural nouns require are having.
Examples from Media and Literature
The following examples reflect the kinds of constructions commonly found in news reports, novels, film dialogue, and everyday media writing:
- News report: “The residents are having difficulty accessing clean water.” The plural subject residents requires are having.
- Business article: “The company is having trouble meeting customer demand.” The singular noun company requires is having.
- Novelistic narration: “The children are having an adventure in the woods.” The plural subject children takes are having.
- Film dialogue: “She is having a difficult day.” The singular pronoun she requires is having.
- Sports coverage: “The players are having an excellent season.” The plural noun players takes are having.
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct phrase, are having or is having, to complete each sentence.
- The teachers ______ a staff meeting this afternoon.
- My brother ______ difficulty finding his keys.
- We ______ dinner with our neighbors tonight.
- The museum ______ a special exhibition this month.
- You ______ a great opportunity to learn a new skill.
Answer Key
- are having — “Teachers” is a plural subject.
- is having — “My brother” is a singular subject.
- are having — “We” takes are.
- is having — “The museum” is a singular subject.
- are having — “You” takes are, whether it refers to one person or several people.
“Are Having” Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Are experiencing | Are going through a situation or feeling a particular condition |
| Are enjoying | Are experiencing pleasure or satisfaction |
| Are holding | Are organizing or conducting an event, meeting, or discussion |
| Are undergoing | Are experiencing a process, treatment, or difficult situation |
“Is Having” Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Is experiencing | Is going through a condition, event, or feeling |
| Is enjoying | Is experiencing pleasure or satisfaction |
| Is holding | Is organizing or conducting an event or meeting |
| Is undergoing | Is experiencing a process, treatment, or challenging situation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Should I use “are having” or “is having” with “you”?
Use are having with you. For example: “You are having a productive discussion.” This is true whether you refers to one person or more than one person.
Question 2: Is “the team are having” or “the team is having” correct?
In American English, the team is having is generally preferred because team is treated as a singular collective noun. In some varieties of British English, plural agreement may occur, but American English normally uses is.
Question 3: Can “having” describe possession?
Usually, possession is expressed with the simple present: “She has a car,” not “She is having a car.” However, the progressive form is natural for temporary experiences or activities, as in “She is having lunch” or “She is having a difficult week.”
Conclusion
Are having and is having are both correct. Choose are having for plural subjects and you; choose is having for singular third-person subjects such as he, she, it, and singular nouns. Pro Tip: Accurate subject–verb agreement strengthens your professional reputation by making your writing sound polished, credible, and trustworthy.
