ENGLISH
REFERENCE

they've

pron.
A1 Beginner theyve

pron. the short way to say 'they have'. You use it when talking about a group of people who have done something or own something.

pron. the contracted form of 'they have'. Used as a subject followed by a past participle in perfect tenses or to indicate possession in informal contexts.


SIMPLE

They've already finished their dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

They've lived in this neighborhood for over twenty years and know everyone on the street.

COMPLEX

While the researchers admit the study is small, they've managed to identify a significant correlation that had previously been overlooked by their peers in the field.

Usage

A contraction of the pronoun 'they' and the auxiliary verb 'have'. In formal writing, the full form 'they have' is preferred.

Pitfall

They've a new car.They've got a new car. / They have a new car.In many dialects, 'they've' is only used as an auxiliary verb; when showing possession, 'got' is added or the full 'have' is used.

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