“Family Has” or “Family Have” – Correct Version (With Examples)

Whenever we use the collective noun “family,” we treat it as a singular form. We have to make sure we know the correct singular verb form when we use it. There are rare instances where we might use it as a plural, but we’ll get to that later.

Is It “Family Has” Or “Family Have”?

“Family has” is much more common. We use it because “family” is a collective noun. This means that we treat it as one item, even though a family is made up of many different people. We might use “family have” if we choose to split the family into specific groups.

When Should I Use “Family Has”?

“Family has” is the singular form. We use it when “family” is a collective noun, which means we treat the group as a single entity rather than a collection of multiple people doing different things.

1. The family has a few good friends around them. I guess they’ll be fine.
2. My family has a death wish! I swear they’re always looking for dangerous things to do.
3. Your family has a lot to answer for. I can’t believe they’d stoop this low.
4. His family has a great car collection. You should come along and see it sometime.
5. I want what his family has. I want us all to love each other just as much.
6. My family has some strange ideas.
7. This family has a lot of weird people in it, but I still love them very much.

When Should I Use “Family Have”?

“Family have” applies when we are using “family” as a collection of singular members. If we want to be specific about “the people” in the family with certain phrases, we can use “have” to show that they are separated.

1. The people in this family have a few issues to work through.
2. The men in the family have no idea what to do here.
3. You will find the people in this family have no clue as to what happened.
4. All of them in this family have no friends.
5. The people in this family have stopped talking to each other.
6. The men in this family have a date with all the ladies tonight.
7. The people in her family have known each other forever.

Is “Family Has” Or “Family Have” Used The Most?

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “family has” is the most popular choice. This is because it’s much more likely to come up in contexts. We usually refer to families as a collective rather than by the single members within them.

With that said, there isn’t anything grammatically wrong with “family have.” It’s just not quite as popular, which you can work out from the graph.

Is It “My Family And I Has” Or “My Family And I Have”?

“My family and I have” is correct because we’re talking about two different things. “My family” is one entity, and “I” is another. Since we’re using two entities, it makes sense to only use the plural verb form, meaning that “have” is the only appropriate choice.

• Correct: My family and I have a few things we need to discuss with each other.
• Incorrect: My family and I has a couple of ideas. Do you want to hear them?

Is It “Our Family Has” Or “Our Family Have”?

“Our family has” is correct when we use “family” as a collective group. This means we do not treat any of the individual members separately. If we do choose to treat them separately, we can use “our family have” to show how different people interact within the family.

• Our family has a long history of heart disease, and I’d like to look after myself.
• The people in our family have a lot to answer for. I’ll be asking them about these things soon.

Is It “Her Family Has” Or “Her Family Have”?

“Her family has” works best when we use “family” as a collective noun. If we separate the members, then “have” is the better choice. These rules apply no matter which singular pronoun we choose to use before “family.”

• Her family has a few oddballs in it. I try not to judge them too harshly.
• The men in her family have odd views on how the world should work.

Is It “You And Your Family Has” Or “You And Your Family Have”?

“You and your family have” is the only correct form. We can only use “have” here because it’s the plural verb form. Since we use “you” and “your family” as two separate entities, it means we’re working with two things (thus needing the plural).

• Correct: You and your family have a great house. I wish I could live here.
• Incorrect: You and your family has no idea what they’re getting into right now.

Is It “Does Your Family Has” Or “Does Your Family Have”?

“Does your family have” is the only correct form. When using “does” as a question starter, we must always turn “have” into this form. Using “has” is never correct, regardless of the singular or plural form of the previous word.

• Correct: Does your family have the right address? We haven’t seen you around yet.
• Incorrect: Does your family has any better ideas?

Is It “The Family Has Dinner” Or “The Family Have Dinner”?

“The family has dinner” is correct when referring to the family as a whole. This means we are treating them as a collective group and not singling anyone out. If we do single out specific people from the family, “have” can work better.

• The family has dinner every night at the same time.
• The women in the family have dinner coming up later.

Should I Use “Family Has” Or “Family Have” In American English?

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “family has” is used much more than “family have” in American English. This shows you’re more likely to come across “family” in the traditional sense, where it’s used as a singular collective group.

Should I Use “Family Has” Or “Family Have” In British English?

The same is also true for British English. “Family has” is the most popular choice, according to Google Ngram Viewer. This shows that both language styles treat “family” as a singular noun.

You may also like:

“Family Is” or “Family Are” – Is Family Singular or Plural?

“Family Has” or “Family Have” – Correct Version (With Examples)