have having → have been having

"I have having" is not standard English. For ongoing or repeated experiences that started in the past and continue now, use the present perfect continuous: "I have been having" (or "I've been having").

Below are clear rules, many wrong→right pairs (work, school, casual), quick rewrite templates, and small tricks to fix sentences on the spot.

Quick answer

Don't write "I have having." Use "I have been having" for ongoing/repeated experiences. For completed states or stative verbs (know, own, like), use simple perfect or present: "I have" or "I have known".

• "I have having" = incorrect.
• Use "I have been having" for actions or problems that started earlier and continue now: "I have been having trouble with X."
• Use "I have" / "I have had" / "I have experienced" for completed states or formal tone.
• For an ongoing action that ended before another past event use "had been having".

Core explanation: why "have having" fails

The present perfect continuous needs three parts: subject + have/has + been + verb-ing. Dropping "been" (writing "have having") breaks the auxiliary chain and is ungrammatical: think "have + been + doing," not "have + doing."

• Form: I/you/we/they have been + verb-ing; he/she/it has been + verb-ing.
• Use this when a situation began in the past and continues now, or when it repeats over time.
• Don't use continuous forms with most stative verbs; say "I have known," not "I have been knowing."

• Wrong: I have having a lot of trouble with my car recently.
• Right: I have been having a lot of trouble with my car recently.
• Wrong: We have having issues logging in.
• Right: We've been having issues logging in.

Real usage and tone - work, school, casual

Choose phrasing by context. Contractions are fine in casual and many workplace messages; prefer fuller or more formal alternatives in reports.

• Work
  • Wrong: I have having issues with the server since Monday.
  • Right: I have been having issues with the server since Monday.
  • Wrong: I have having trouble accessing the shared drive.
  • Right: I've been having trouble accessing the shared drive.
  • Right (formal): I have experienced persistent access issues.
• School
  • Wrong: I have having difficulties understanding chapter four.
  • Right: I have been having difficulties understanding chapter four.
  • Wrong: I have having a lot of homework lately.
  • Right: I've been getting a lot of homework lately. Or: I have a lot of homework.
  • Wrong: I have having trouble with the lab equipment all week.
  • Right: I have been having trouble with the lab equipment all week.
• Casual
  • Wrong: I have having a cold all week.
  • Right: I've been having a cold all week.
  • Wrong: I have having so much fun at the festival.
  • Right: I've been having so much fun at the festival.
  • Wrong: I have having trouble sleeping, man.
  • Right: I've been having trouble sleeping lately.

Quick rewrite templates (copy-paste fixes)

Match the template to intent, then swap in your details.

• Add "been" for ongoing issues: "I have been having + noun/verb-ing."
  • Example: I have been having trouble with the router.
• Use simple perfect for states: "I have + noun/state."
  • Example: I have the invoice. / I have known this for years.
• Use a stronger verb in formal contexts: "I have experienced/encountered + noun."
  • Example: I have experienced delays with the shipment.

• Rewrite examples:
  • Wrong: I have having trouble with my internet. →
    Right: I have been having trouble with my internet lately.
  • Wrong: I have having a headache all day. →
    Right: I've been having a headache all day.
  • Wrong: He have having conflicts with the calendar. →
    Right: He has been having conflicts with the calendar.
  • Wrong: I have having the book for two weeks. →
    Right: I have had the book for two weeks.

Examples: focused pairs and edge cases

Near misses and the right fixes help you choose the correct tense and emphasis.

• Wrong: I have having my keys for years. -
  Right: I have had my keys for years.
• Wrong: I have having the feeling that something's wrong. -
  Right: I have had the feeling that something's wrong.
• Wrong: I have having headaches all last month (but they stopped). -
  Right: I was having headaches all last month. Or: I had been having headaches before the treatment started.
• Wrong: I have having and then I had to leave. -
  Right: I had been having trouble, and then I had to leave.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence in context. Often the timeline or surrounding verbs reveal the correct tense.

Memory trick: one little bridge word

Think: have BEEN doing - treat BEEN as a tiny bridge between the perfect and the continuous. Skip it and the sentence stalls.

• Mnemonic: have-BEEN-doing → BEEN is the bridge.
• Ear test: read it aloud. "I have having..." sounds cramped; "I have been having..." sounds natural.

Similar mistakes and related traps

When you fix "have having", also watch for stative verbs, wrong perfect vs continuous, and subject-verb agreement.

• Stative verbs: Wrong: I have been knowing →
  Right: I have known.
• Perfect vs continuous: choose "I have had" for completed experiences and "I have been having" for ongoing ones.
• Agreement errors: Wrong: She have having issues →
  Right: She has been having issues.

Hyphenation, spacing, and contraction notes

Keep auxiliaries separate and in order: have + space + been + space + having. Use contractions where tone allows: "I've been having" is fine in casual and many workplace contexts.

• Correct: I have been having / I've been having.
• Never write: havebeenhaving or have-been-having.
• Avoid splitting "been having" across a confusing line break when clarity matters.

Grammar checkpoints: agreement and tense shifts

Run these quick checks after you rewrite.

• Agreement: I/you/we/they have been having; he/she/it has been having.
• Timeline: present perfect continuous = ongoing to now; past perfect continuous = had been having (ended before another past event).
• Stative verbs: prefer simple perfect or present (I have known, not I have been knowing).

• Wrong: She have having trouble with the printer. -
  Right: She has been having trouble with the printer.

FAQ

Is "I have having" ever correct?

No. Insert "been" to form "I have been having" for ongoing actions, or use a different tense or verb if the action is completed or stative.

When should I use "I have been having" vs "I have had"?

Use "I have been having" for ongoing or repeated experiences that continue into the present. Use "I have had" for completed experiences or to emphasize that something is finished.

Can I say "I've been having" in a work email?

Yes. "I've been having" is usually acceptable in everyday workplace messages. For formal reports use the full form or a formal alternative like "I have experienced."

How do I fix "I have having" quickly?

Checklist: (1) Is the verb stative? If yes, use simple perfect/present. (2) If you mean ongoing, add "been". (3) Check subject-verb agreement (has vs have).

What's the difference between "I have been having" and "I had been having"?

"I have been having" covers an ongoing situation up to now. "I had been having" describes an ongoing situation that ended before another past event.

Need a fast check?

Paste your sentence into a tool or use one of the three safe rewrites: "I have been having...", "I have had...", or "I have [state]." They fix most problems quickly.