Who Has or Who Have? Correct Form and Usage

Who Has or Who Have? Correct Form and Usage helps you avoid common grammar mistakes and build clear, natural English sentences every day.

When typing and forming sentences, Who has and Who have often confuse learners. From my teaching experience, the choice depends on the subject and the noun that follows. A singular noun or one person takes has, while a plural noun or more than one person takes have. This simple rule helps you use the correct form, correct grammar, and proper subject-verb agreement.

When talking or writing, always check the sentence structure before choosing the right form. For example, say, “Who has the best score?” for one person, but “Who have been invited to the party?” for many people. Regular practice improves your grammar usage, writing, and overall use of English.

Quick Answer: 

The correct choice depends on whether who refers to one person or multiple people.

Use who has when:

• Who refers to one person.
• The noun before who is singular.

Examples:

• The student who has the highest score will receive an award.
• The person who has my book should return it.

Use who have when:

• Who refers to multiple people.
• The noun before who is plural.

Examples:

• The students who have the highest scores will receive awards.
• The people who have experience can help us.

Correct Form	When to Use	Example
Who has	One person	The employee who has completed the task can leave.
Who have	Multiple people	The employees who have completed the task can leave.

A quick memory trick:

One person → who has
Many people → who have

Who Has or Who Have: The Basic Grammar Rule

The difference between who has and who have comes from subject-verb agreement.

Subject-verb agreement means that the verb must match the subject in number. A singular subject needs a singular verb, while a plural subject needs a plural verb.

For example:

• The boy has a bicycle.
• The boys have bicycles.

When we add who, the same rule continues:

• The boy who has a bicycle lives nearby.
• The boys who have bicycles live nearby.

The word who simply replaces the noun inside the relative clause. It does not change the grammar rule.

Many learners think:

❌ “Who is a question word, so it should always use have.”

This is incorrect.

The correct form depends on the noun that who represents.

Compare these sentences:

• The doctor who has treated me is very experienced.
• The doctors who have treated me are very experienced.

The difference is not the word who. The difference is the noun:

• Doctor = singular → has
• Doctors = plural → have

Why People Get Confused Between Who Has and Who Have

The confusion happens because who connects two parts of a sentence. It introduces extra information about a person or group.

Example:

The woman who has a blue car lives next door.

The phrase who has a blue car describes the woman.

Many people choose the wrong verb because they look at the wrong part of the sentence. They may focus on a nearby word instead of identifying what who actually refers to.

For example:

❌ The group of students who has completed the project will present today.

This sentence creates confusion because the writer may focus on “group.”

A better approach is to ask:

Who has completed the project?

The answer is:

Students.

Because “students” is plural:

✅ The group of students who have completed the project will present today.

Common Reasons for Mistakes With Who Has and Who Have

Understanding common mistakes makes it easier to avoid them.

Mistake	Why It Happens	Better Approach
Using “who have” everywhere	Thinking who is always plural	Check whether it refers to one person or many
Using “who has” everywhere	Forgetting plural agreement	Look at the noun before who
Matching the nearest word	Ignoring the real subject	Find what who represents
Following casual speech	Informal English may ignore rules	Use standard grammar in formal writing

How Subject-Verb Agreement Works With Who

To choose correctly between who has or who have, you first need to identify the antecedent.

An antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to.

Example:

The manager who has approved the proposal will attend the meeting.

Here:

• Antecedent: manager
• Pronoun: who
• Verb: has

The sentence means:

The manager has approved the proposal.

Since manager is singular, has is correct.

Now look at this sentence:

The managers who have approved the proposal will attend the meeting.

The meaning becomes:

The managers have approved the proposal.

Since managers is plural, have is correct.

Who Has: When to Use It Correctly

Use who has when who refers to one person.

A singular noun always takes has in the present perfect tense or when showing possession.

Examples:

• The student who has the answer should raise their hand.
• The employee who has the best performance record will receive a promotion.
• The woman who has a bakery lives near my house.

Each sentence describes one individual.

The phrase after who gives more information about that person.

Use Who Has After Singular Nouns

Common singular nouns include:

• Person
• Student
• Teacher
• Doctor
• Manager
• Employee
• Child

Examples:

The teacher who has taught here for ten years received an award.

The noun is teacher, which is singular.

Therefore:

✅ Teacher who has

Another example:

The child who has finished the homework can play outside.

The noun is child, which is singular.

Therefore:

✅ Child who has

A simple checking method is to remove the relative clause.

Sentence:

The employee who has completed the training can start work.

Remove:

who has completed the training

You get:

The employee can start work.

Since “employee” is singular, has is the correct choice.

Who Have: When to Use It Correctly

Use who have when who refers to multiple people.

Plural nouns require have.

Examples:

• The students who have studied regularly usually get better results.
• The workers who have completed their tasks can leave early.
• The people who have experience in this field understand the challenges.

In each example, who refers to a group.

The noun controls the verb:

• Students → have
• Workers → have
• People → have

Use Who Have With Plural Nouns

Plural nouns usually refer to more than one person.

Singular	Plural
Student	Students
Teacher	Teachers
Employee	Employees
Person	People
Child	Children
Woman	Women

Examples:

• The teachers who have years of experience help new instructors.
• The people who have attended the conference learned valuable skills.
• The children who have completed their homework can watch television.

The important question is not “Is the sentence using who?” The important question is:

Who does who represent?

Who Has or Who Have in Questions

The phrase who has or who have can become confusing when it appears in questions. However, the same grammar rule still applies. You need to identify whether who refers to one person or multiple people.

Consider these examples:

• Who has my phone?
• Who has completed the assignment?
• Who has the key to the office?

In these sentences, who acts as the subject. The speaker wants to know which person has something or has completed an action.

Now look at this example:

• Who have you invited to the meeting?

Here, who is not the subject. The subject is you, and who receives the action of the verb invited. This is a different grammar structure.

Understanding the role of who helps you avoid confusion.

Examples of Questions Using Who Has

Use who has when you ask about one unknown person who possesses something or performs an action.

Examples:

• Who has my notebook?
• Who has the best idea for this project?
• Who has finished the report?
• Who has experience in digital marketing?

These questions usually ask about one person from a group.

For example:

Who has the answer?

The meaning is:

Which person has the answer?

The verb has matches the idea of one person.

Who Has or Who Have in Formal and Informal English

Both who has and who have are grammatically correct when used in the right situation.

The difference depends on the noun that who represents.

In formal writing, correct grammar matters because readers expect accuracy and clarity.

Business Writing Examples

Correct:

We need employees who have strong communication skills.

Incorrect:

We need employees who has strong communication skills.

The reason is simple:

• Employees = plural
• Plural subjects use have

Another example:

The manager who has approved the proposal will attend the meeting.

Here:

• Manager = singular
• Singular subjects use has

Academic Writing Examples

Academic writing often includes longer sentences, which makes subject identification important.

Example:

Researchers who have studied climate change have discovered new patterns.

The word researchers is plural, so we use have.

Example:

A researcher who has studied this topic can explain the findings.

The word researcher is singular, so we use has.

Special Cases With Who Has and Who Have

Some common expressions follow specific patterns. Learning these phrases can make your English more natural.

Anyone Who Has

The phrase anyone who has is always correct.

The word anyone is grammatically singular even though it refers to any possible person.

Examples:

• Anyone who has questions can contact the support team.
• Anyone who has completed the form can submit it.

Incorrect:

❌ Anyone who have questions can contact the support team.

Correct:

✅ Anyone who has questions can contact the support team.

Everyone Who Has

The word everyone also takes a singular verb.

Examples:

• Everyone who has registered will receive a confirmation email.
• Everyone who has attended the workshop learned new skills.

Incorrect:

❌ Everyone who have registered will receive a certificate.

Correct:

✅ Everyone who has registered will receive a certificate.

Those Who Have

Unlike everyone and anyone, the word those is plural.

Therefore, it uses have.

Examples:

• Those who have experience can help beginners.
• Those who have completed the course will receive a certificate.

The word “those” refers to multiple people, so have is required.

People Who Have

The phrase people who have is one of the most common patterns in English.

Examples:

• People who have strong writing skills often communicate better.
• People who have healthy habits usually feel more energetic.

The word people is plural, so it takes have.

Who Has or Who Have vs. Whose

Many learners confuse who has with whose because both words relate to people.

However, they have different purposes.

Expression	Meaning	Example
Who has	Refers to possession or action	The person who has my book is my friend.
Whose	Shows ownership	Whose book is this?

Compare these sentences:

The student who has the blue bag is my friend.

This tells us which student has the bag.

The student whose bag is blue is my friend.

This focuses on the ownership of the bag.

Who Has or Who Have vs. Who Is and Who Are

The same subject-verb agreement rule applies to who is and who are.

Use:

• Who is for one person
• Who are for multiple people

Examples:

The teacher who is speaking is my mentor.

One teacher is speaking.

The teachers who are speaking are my mentors.

Multiple teachers are speaking.

The same pattern appears with has and have:

The teacher who has experience is respected.

The teachers who have experience are respected.

Common Mistakes With Who Has and Who Have

Understanding mistakes helps you recognize the correct pattern faster.

Using Has With Plural Subjects

Incorrect:

❌ The employees who has completed the training will receive certificates.

Correct:

✅ The employees who have completed the training will receive certificates.

Why?

The word employees refers to more than one person.

Using Have With Singular Subjects

Incorrect:

❌ The student who have the highest marks will receive a prize.

Correct:

✅ The student who has the highest marks will receive a prize.

Why?

The word student refers to one person.

Choosing the Verb Based on the Closest Word

Sometimes another noun appears between who and the actual subject.

Example:

She is one of the students who have completed the project.

Many people incorrectly write:

❌ She is one of the students who has completed the project.

The correct choice depends on what who refers to.

Here, who refers to students, not she.

Therefore:

✅ Students who have completed the project

Easy Tricks to Remember Who Has or Who Have

Choosing between has and have becomes easier when you use simple checking methods.

Use the Replacement Trick

Replace who with the noun it represents.

Example:

The players who have won the match are celebrating.

Replace “who”:

The players have won the match.

Since players is plural, have is correct.

Another example:

The player who has won the match is celebrating.

Replace “who”:

The player has won the match.

Since player is singular, has is correct.

Find the Real Subject

Ask yourself:

Who does “who” refer to?

Example:

The doctor who has treated many patients is famous.

Who has treated many patients?

Answer:

The doctor.

Doctor is singular, so we use has.

Example:

The doctors who have treated many patients are famous.

Doctors are plural, so we use have.

Practice Exercise: Choose Who Has or Who Have

Complete the sentences with the correct form.

1. The woman who ___ the blue car lives nearby.
2. The students who ___ studied regularly passed the test.
3. The manager who ___ approved the plan is unavailable today.
4. The workers who ___ completed the project received rewards.
5. The person who ___ called earlier left a message.

Answers

1. has
2. have
3. has
4. have
5. has

Real-Life Examples of Who Has and Who Have

Correct grammar appears in many areas of life.

Workplace Communication

Examples:

• The employee who has the required skills will lead the project.
• The employees who have completed training can begin work.

Education

Examples:

• The student who has improved the most will receive recognition.
• The students who have submitted their assignments can leave.

Online Communication

Examples:

• Users who have created accounts can access this feature.
• The customer who has placed the order will receive a confirmation email.

Read More: In Efforts To vs. In An Effort To: Which Is Correct? and Usage

FAQs

Q1. Is Who has grammatically correct?

Yes. Who has is correct when you are referring to one person or a singular noun. Example: Who has my notebook?

Q2. When should I use Who have?

Use Who have only when who clearly refers to a plural group. Example: The students who have completed the test may leave.

Q3. Why do people confuse Who has and Who have?

Many learners focus on who instead of the noun or group it refers to. Checking the subject makes the correct choice easier.

Q4. Is Who has the best score? correct?

Yes. Since the question asks about one person with the highest score, Who has is the correct form.

Q5. Can Who have start a question?

It can, but only in limited situations where who refers to multiple people. In most everyday questions, Who has is more common.

Q6. What grammar rule decides between Who has and Who have?

The rule is subject-verb agreement. Match the verb with whether the subject is singular or plural.

Q7. How can I remember the correct form?

Think about the answer. If the answer is one person, use Who has. If it is several people, use Who have.

Q8. Are Who has and Who have common in everyday English?

Yes. Both appear in spoken and written English, although Who has is used more frequently in daily conversations.

Q9. Does using the wrong form change the meaning?

The basic meaning usually stays the same, but it makes the sentence grammatically incorrect and less natural.

Q10. How can I improve my use of Who has and Who have?

Practice writing short sentences, identify whether the subject is singular or plural, and review examples until the pattern becomes natural.

Conclusion

Using Who has and Who have becomes much easier once you understand subject-verb agreement. Focus on whether you are referring to one person or more than one person before choosing the verb. With regular practice, this grammar rule becomes natural, and your sentences will sound more accurate and confident.

As an English teacher, I have seen many learners struggle with this small but important difference. The best way to master it is to read, write, and practice with real examples every day. Over time, you will choose the correct form without second-guessing yourself, making your English clearer and more professional.