Have Made vs. Has Made – Which is Correct?

“Have made” is used with I, you, we, they, and plural subjects, while “has made” follows he, she, it, and singular nouns. Both are correct present-perfect forms of make, meaning an action completed with relevance to now. Choose the auxiliary that agrees with the subject and context in every sentence.

Have Made or Has Made – Which is Correct?

Both have made and has made are correct. They are present-perfect verb phrases formed with the auxiliary verb have or has and the past participle made.

Use have made with the subjects I, you, we, they, and plural nouns. Use has made with he, she, it, and singular nouns. The choice depends on subject–verb agreement, not on whether the sentence is formal or casual.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the “he has” test: if you could replace the subject with he, she, or it, choose has made. If you could replace it with they, we, or I, choose have made. Remember: one person has, but many people have.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
have made	Present-perfect verb phrase	An action completed by I, you, we, they, or a plural subject	They have made significant progress.
has made	Present-perfect verb phrase	An action completed by he, she, it, or a singular subject	The company has made a profit.

How to Use Have Made

Use have made when the subject is I, you, we, they, or a plural noun. The phrase is the present perfect of make. It describes an action that happened at an unspecified time before now, an action with a present result, or an action that has occurred repeatedly up to the present.

Example 1: I have made several changes to the report.

Example 2: We have made enough food for everyone.

Example 3: The researchers have made important discoveries.

What are the Different Forms of Have Made?

Have made is the present-perfect form used with first-person subjects, the second-person subject, and plural third-person subjects. The verb make is irregular: its base form is make, its past tense is made, and its past participle is also made.

• Present: I make, you make, we make, they make
• Past: I made, you made, we made, they made
• Present perfect: I have made, you have made, we have made, they have made
• Past perfect: I had made, you had made, we had made, they had made
• Future perfect: I will have made, you will have made, we will have made, they will have made

Etymology of the Word Made

Made comes from the Old English verb macian, meaning “to make” or “to construct.” It is related to similar Germanic words in other languages. Over time, make developed into one of English’s most widely used verbs, covering meanings such as creating, causing, earning, deciding, and performing an action.

How to Use Has Made

Use has made when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun. Like have made, it is a present-perfect construction. It connects a completed or repeated past action to the present, often emphasizing a current result or effect.

Example 1: She has made an excellent impression on the interview panel.

Example 2: The new policy has made the process more efficient.

Example 3: Our manager has made several improvements to the schedule.

What are the Different Forms of Has Made?

Has made is the present-perfect form used with singular third-person subjects. The auxiliary has agrees with the singular subject, while made remains unchanged because it is the past participle of the irregular verb make.

• Present: He makes, she makes, it makes
• Past: He made, she made, it made
• Present perfect: He has made, she has made, it has made
• Past perfect: He had made, she had made, it had made
• Future perfect: He will have made, she will have made, it will have made

Etymology of the Word Has

Has is a third-person singular form of have. The verb have comes from Old English habban, meaning “to possess” or “to hold.” It later became an auxiliary verb used to form perfect tenses, including has made.

Related Concepts

Understanding auxiliary verbs and subject–verb agreement makes it easier to choose between have made and has made.

• Present perfect: The present perfect combines have or has with a past participle. It describes past actions that relate to the present, such as “They have made a decision.”
• Subject–verb agreement: The auxiliary must match the subject. Singular third-person subjects take has, while I, you, plural subjects, and most other subjects take have.
• Irregular verbs: Make does not form its past tense by adding -ed. Its past tense and past participle are both made.
• Singular and plural nouns: A singular noun takes has made, while a plural noun takes have made: “The student has made progress,” but “The students have made progress.”

Examples from Media and Literature

Both forms appear frequently in journalism, fiction, biographies, and everyday dialogue. The correct choice depends on the subject in each sentence.

• News reporting: “The government has made changes to the proposed legislation.” Here, the government is treated as a singular subject.
• Business writing: “The company has made a substantial investment in renewable energy.”
• Historical writing: “Scientists have made discoveries that changed how people understand the natural world.”
• Fictional dialogue: “You have made the right choice,” a character might tell another person.
• Biographical writing: “The artist has made a lasting contribution to modern culture.”

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct phrase, have made or has made, to complete each sentence.

1. The teacher ______ an important announcement.
2. We ______ several improvements to the design.
3. My friends ______ plans for the weekend.
4. The new system ______ the work much easier.
5. I ______ a mistake in the calculations.

Answer Key

1. has made — “The teacher” is singular.
2. have made — “We” takes have.
3. have made — “My friends” is plural.
4. has made — “The new system” is singular.
5. have made — “I” takes have.

Have Made Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
Have created	Have produced or brought something into existence
Have produced	Have manufactured, generated, or developed something
Have formed	Have brought something together into a particular shape or arrangement
Have completed	Have finished an action or task
Have achieved	Have successfully reached a goal or result

Has Made Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
Has created	Has produced or brought something into existence
Has produced	Has manufactured, generated, or developed something
Has caused	Has brought about a particular effect or result
Has completed	Has finished a task, process, or action
Has achieved	Has successfully reached an objective or outcome

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “have made” or “has made” correct?
Both are correct. Use have made with I, you, we, they, and plural subjects. Use has made with he, she, it, and singular subjects.

Question 2: Is it “the company has made” or “the company have made”?
In standard American English, use “the company has made” because company is a singular collective noun. British usage may sometimes allow a plural verb when emphasizing the individuals within an organization.

Question 3: What is the difference between “made” and “have made”?
Made is the simple past form and generally refers to a completed past action. Have made is the present perfect and connects a past action to the present: “I made a cake yesterday” versus “I have made a cake for the guests.”

Question 4: Can “has made” be used with “you”?
No. Standard English uses “you have made,” whether you refers to one person or several people. The subject you always takes have, not has.

Conclusion

Have made and has made are both correct present-perfect forms. Choose have made after I, you, we, they, and plural nouns; choose has made after he, she, it, and singular nouns. Pro tip: Correct subject–verb agreement strengthens your professional reputation and makes your writing appear polished and reliable.