Have Risen vs. Has Risen – Which is Correct?

Both “have risen” and “has risen” are correct, but they agree with different subjects. Use “have risen” with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns; use “has risen” with he, she, it, and singular nouns. Both are present perfect forms of rise, describing an increase or upward movement before now.

Have Risen or Has Risen – Which is Correct?

Have risen and has risen are both grammatically correct. The choice depends on the subject of the sentence. Use have risen after I, you, we, they, and plural nouns. Use has risen after he, she, it, and singular nouns.

Both expressions are present perfect forms of the irregular verb rise. They can describe something that moved upward or increased at an unspecified time before now, often with a result that remains relevant in the present.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the subject-substitution test. If you can replace the subject with they or another plural pronoun, choose have risen. If you can replace it with he, she, or it, choose has risen.

For example, “The prices have risen” becomes “They have risen,” so have risen is correct. “The price has risen” becomes “It has risen,” so has risen is correct.

How to Use Have Risen

Use have risen when the subject is I, you, we, they, or a plural noun. The phrase combines the auxiliary verb have with risen, the past participle of rise.

Have risen can refer to physical movement, such as people standing or water levels increasing. It can also describe changes in prices, temperatures, standards, expectations, popularity, or other measurable conditions. The expression is appropriate in casual, academic, business, and formal writing.

Example 1: Food prices have risen significantly over the past year.

Example 2: The students have risen from their seats.

Example 3: Temperatures have risen since early morning.

What are the different forms of Have Risen?

Have risen is the present perfect form used with plural subjects and with I and you. The verb rise is irregular, so its forms do not follow the regular -ed pattern.

• Base form: rise — “Birds rise into the air.”
• Simple past: rose — “The balloon rose above the trees.”
• Past participle: risen — “The balloon has risen above the trees.”
• Present perfect: have risen — “The balloons have risen.”
• Past perfect: had risen — “The balloons had risen before the wind changed.”
• Future perfect: will have risen — “The balloons will have risen by noon.”

Etymology of the Word Have Risen

The phrase comes from the Old English verb rīsan, meaning “to rise” or “to get up.” The verb developed into modern English rise, with the irregular past form rose and past participle risen. The auxiliary have creates the present perfect construction.

How to Use Has Risen

Use has risen when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun. Like have risen, it is a present perfect verb phrase. The singular auxiliary has must agree with the singular subject.

The phrase can describe a person getting up, an object moving upward, or a quantity becoming greater. It is common in news reporting, financial writing, scientific descriptions, everyday conversation, and formal analysis.

Example 1: The cost of electricity has risen this winter.

Example 2: She has risen to a leadership position in the company.

Example 3: The water level has risen after several days of rain.

What are the different forms of Has Risen?

Has risen is the present perfect form used with third-person singular subjects. The main verb remains risen, while the auxiliary changes according to the subject.

• Base form: rise — “The tide begins to rise.”
• Simple past: rose — “The tide rose overnight.”
• Past participle: risen — “The tide has risen.”
• Present perfect: has risen — “The tide has risen considerably.”
• Past perfect: had risen — “The tide had risen before the boats returned.”
• Future perfect: will have risen — “The tide will have risen by sunset.”

Etymology of the Word Has Risen

Has risen combines the third-person singular form of the auxiliary verb have, which is has, with the past participle risen. The main verb ultimately comes from Old English rīsan, a Germanic word associated with upward movement and standing up.

Related Concepts

Understanding subject-verb agreement and irregular verb forms makes it easier to choose between have risen and has risen.

• Subject-verb agreement: The auxiliary verb must match the subject in number. Singular third-person subjects use has, while plural subjects generally use have.
• Present perfect tense: This tense uses have or has plus a past participle to connect a past event with the present.
• Irregular verbs: The verb rise changes to rose in the simple past and risen as its past participle.
• Rise versus raise: Rise means to move upward by itself, while raise means to lift or increase something else. For example, “Prices have risen,” but “The company has raised prices.”

Examples from Media and Literature

Writers and reporters frequently use these expressions when describing social change, physical movement, economics, nature, and personal achievement.

• News reporting: “Energy costs have risen across several regions.” The plural subject energy costs requires have.
• Financial journalism: “The company’s share price has risen after the announcement.” The singular subject share price requires has.
• Historical writing: “Several empires have risen and fallen throughout history.” The plural subject empires requires have.
• Nature writing: “The river has risen beyond its usual level.” The singular subject river requires has.
• Biographical writing: “They have risen from difficult circumstances to achieve success.” The pronoun they requires have.

Practice Exercises

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

1. The price of gasoline ______ again.
2. Temperatures ______ throughout the afternoon.
3. She ______ to become one of the organization’s most respected members.
4. The mountains ______ into view as the clouds cleared.
5. The level of public interest ______ since the announcement.

Answer Key

1. has risen — The singular subject is “the price of gasoline.”
2. have risen — The plural subject is “temperatures.”
3. has risen — The singular subject is “she.”
4. have risen — The plural subject is “the mountains.”
5. has risen — The singular subject is “the level.”

Have Risen Synonyms

Has Risen Synonyms

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is it correct to say “prices have risen”?
Yes. “Prices” is a plural subject, so it correctly takes have risen: “Prices have risen since last month.”

Question 2: Is it correct to say “the price has risen”?
Yes. “The price” is singular, so it correctly takes has risen: “The price has risen since last month.”

Question 3: What is the difference between “rose” and “has risen”?
Rose is the simple past form and usually refers to a completed action at a specific past time. Has risen is the present perfect form and connects a past change with the present, often without stating exactly when it occurred.

Question 4: Should I say “interest rates have risen” or “interest rates has risen”?
Use interest rates have risen because rates is plural. The singular version is “The interest rate has risen.”

Conclusion

Have risen and has risen are both correct present perfect forms of rise. Choose have risen for I, you, we, they, and plural nouns. Choose has risen for he, she, it, and singular nouns. Pro Tip: Checking subject-verb agreement carefully helps your professional writing appear polished, precise, and credible.