Phrasal verb
have on
Definition
phrasal verb. to wear a piece of clothing, jewelry, or a pair of glasses.
phrasal verb. to be wearing a garment or accessory; functions as a stative phrasal verb indicating a current state of dress.
Examples
“She has a red coat on today.”
“I didn't recognize him at first because he had a hat and sunglasses on.”
“The suspect was reported to have on a dark navy blazer and tan trousers at the time of the incident.”
Examples
simple
“She has a red coat on today.”
contextual
“I didn't recognize him at first because he had a hat and sunglasses on.”
complex
“The suspect was reported to have on a dark navy blazer and tan trousers at the time of the incident.”
Usage
usually separable; the object (clothing) often sits between 'have' and 'on'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'put on' (the action) and 'wear' (the state); 'have on' is more common in spoken English when describing someone's current appearance.
Pitfall
I am having a coat on.
I have a coat on.
this phrase is stative and is almost never used in the continuous '-ing' form.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
optional
Pattern
have + object + on
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/have-on