The phrase "is having" appears frequently in English. Children hear it and use it in their daily conversations. But understanding its grammatical role helps children use it correctly. Today, we are going to explore whether is having a verb and discover how this common phrase functions in English sentences.
Meaning Let us start with the basic question. Is "is having" a verb? Yes, "is having" is a verb phrase. It is the present continuous form of the verb "have."
The present continuous tense shows actions that are happening right now, at this moment. It also shows temporary actions or situations.
"I am having lunch." This means I am eating lunch right now. "She is having a good time." This means she is enjoying herself at this moment. "They are having a party." This means the party is happening now.
The verb phrase "is having" combines the helping verb "is" with the main verb "having" (the -ing form of "have").
Conjugation The present continuous form of "have" changes based on the subject. Let us look at all the forms.
Present continuous of "have": I am having You are having We are having They are having He is having She is having It is having
Past continuous of "have": I was having You were having We were having They were having He was having She was having It was having
Future continuous of "have": I will be having You will be having We will be having They will be having He will be having She will be having It will be having
Present Tense of Is Having The present continuous form "is having" describes actions happening right now.
Actions happening now: "She is having lunch at this moment." This means she is eating right now. "He is having a conversation with his friend." This means they are talking now. "The baby is having a bath." This means the bath is happening now.
Temporary situations: "We are having a wonderful vacation." This describes the current vacation experience. "They are having some difficulties with the project." This describes a temporary problem. "She is having a busy week at work." This describes a current busy period.
New or ongoing experiences: "He is having his first driving lesson today." This describes a new experience happening now. "I am having second thoughts about the decision." This describes current feelings.
Past Tense of Having The past continuous form "was having" or "were having" describes actions that were happening at a specific time in the past.
Actions in progress in the past: "I was having dinner when you called." This means dinner was in progress at that moment. "She was having a shower when the phone rang." This means the shower was happening. "They were having a meeting at 10 o'clock yesterday." This means the meeting was in progress at that time.
Interrupted actions: "We were having a picnic when it started to rain." The picnic was interrupted. "He was having a dream when the alarm clock went off." The dream was interrupted.
Past temporary situations: "I was having a difficult time last year." This describes a past period. "She was having fun at the party before she got tired." This describes a past experience.
Future Tense of Having The future continuous form "will be having" describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
Actions in progress in the future: "This time tomorrow, I will be having lunch on the beach." This means the action will be in progress. "At 8 o'clock tonight, we will be having dinner." This means dinner will be happening then. "She will be having her piano lesson at 4 PM." This means the lesson will be in progress.
Future plans: "We will be having a party next Saturday." This announces a planned future event. "They will be having a meeting to discuss the project." This describes a scheduled event.
Questions with Is Having Forming questions with "is having" follows the pattern of moving the helping verb before the subject.
Present tense questions: "Is she having lunch now?" "Is he having a good time?" "Is the baby having a nap?" "Are they having dinner?"
Past tense questions: "Was she having fun at the party?" "Were they having difficulties?" "Was he having a shower when you called?"
Future tense questions: "Will she be having lunch with us?" "Will they be having a meeting tomorrow?" "Will you be having dinner at home?"
Question word questions: "What is she having for lunch?" "Where is he having his party?" "Why are they having problems?" "When will you be having your next lesson?"
Other Uses of Have in Continuous Form The continuous form "having" is used in many common expressions.
Having + food/drink: "We are having pizza for dinner." "She is having coffee." "They are having breakfast."
Having + experience: "I am having a wonderful time." "He is having an adventure." "She is having a great day."
Having + difficulty/problem: "They are having trouble with the car." "We are having issues with the internet." "He is having a hard time."
Having + event: "They are having a party." "We are having a meeting." "The school is having a concert."
Having + conversation: "She is having a talk with her teacher." "They are having an argument." "We are having a discussion."
Learning Tips for Is Having Teaching the continuous form of "have" requires specific strategies. Here are tips that work well with young learners.
Start with concrete actions happening now. Point to a child eating and say, "Maria is having lunch." Point to children playing and say, "They are having fun."
Use pictures showing actions in progress. "Look at this picture. The family is having dinner. The girl is having ice cream."
Practice the difference between simple present and present continuous. "I have a dog" (possession) vs "I am having a dog for a walk" (action). Note that "have" for possession is rarely used in continuous form.
Teach common expressions as phrases. "Having fun," "having a good time," "having lunch" are often learned as chunks.
Common Mistakes with Is Having Children make predictable mistakes with "is having." Knowing these helps us address them gently.
One common mistake is using continuous form for possession. "I am having a dog" is incorrect for ownership. We say "I have a dog." Explain that "have" for possession is a state, not an action.
Another mistake is forgetting the helping verb. "She having lunch" should be "She is having lunch." Practice the full form.
Some children use the wrong form of "be." "He are having fun" should be "He is having fun." Practice subject-verb agreement.
Word order in questions can be tricky. "She is having lunch?" for a question should be "Is she having lunch?" Practice the question pattern.
Educational Games for Is Having Games make grammar practice fun and memorable. Here are some games to practice using "is having."
What's Happening Now? Game: Show pictures of people doing activities. Children describe what is happening using "is having." "She is having lunch." "They are having fun." "He is having a bath."
Continuous Charades: One child acts out an activity using "having." Having a shower, having a conversation, having a party. Others guess using "is having." "Are you having a shower?"
Yesterday at This Time: Practice past continuous. "Yesterday at 3 PM, I was having music class." Children share what they were having at different times.
Future Plans: Talk about future plans using "will be having." "Next Saturday, I will be having a birthday party." This practices future continuous.
Question Chain: One child asks a question using "is having." "Is Maria having lunch?" The next child answers and asks another question. "Yes, she is. Is Juan having fun?"
Is Having vs. Has Children need to understand the difference between "has" (simple present) and "is having" (present continuous).
Has for possession and states: "She has a blue backpack." (possession) "He has a headache." (state) "It has four legs." (characteristic)
Is having for actions and experiences: "She is having lunch." (action) "He is having a good time." (experience) "They are having a party." (event)
Practice contrasting sentences: "She has a car." (owns it) "She is having a ride." (using it now)
"He has breakfast at 7." (habit) "He is having breakfast now." (current action)
Using Is Having in Stories Stories are wonderful for practicing continuous forms. Many children's books use these structures.
While reading a picture book, pause and describe what characters are having. "Look, the bear is having a picnic. The birds are having seeds."
After reading, ask questions about the story. "What was the character having for breakfast? What were they having trouble with?"
Children can create their own story pages. "In my story, the family is having a picnic. They are having sandwiches and lemonade."
Daily Practice Opportunities The best practice for "is having" happens in daily conversation. Throughout the day, we have many opportunities to use this form.
During meals, describe what is happening. "Maria is having an apple. Juan is having crackers. We are having snack time."
During activities, comment on experiences. "Look, they are having fun on the swings. She is having a turn on the slide."
During transitions, talk about what will happen. "Soon we will be having story time. After that, we will be having lunch."
These natural conversations provide meaningful practice without feeling like lessons.
As we explore whether is having a verb, we discover that "is having" is indeed a verb phrase. It is the present continuous form of "have," used for actions and experiences happening now. Through games, stories, and daily conversations, children learn to use this form naturally and correctly. They gain confidence in describing what is happening at the moment and what they are experiencing. This understanding adds richness to their ability to communicate about the world around them.