he has starting (started) doing that

Writers often confuse the present participle (starting) with the past participle (started), producing errors like "He has starting doing that." Below: a short rule, many paired wrong/right examples, ready rewrites for work, school and casual contexts, and simple memory tricks to stop repeating the error.

Quick roadmap: spot the auxiliary (has/have/had/is/are/will), decide perfect/progressive/future, then pick the matching verb form.

Quick answer: use started (not starting) after perfect auxiliaries

If an auxiliary is has/have/had, use the past participle (has/have/had + started). If the auxiliary is be (is/are/am), use -ing for progressive. If the auxiliary is will, use the base verb (will start).

Perfect: has/have/had + started → "She has started the course."
Progressive: is/are/am + starting → "She is starting the course."
Future: will + start → "She will start the course."

Core explanation: the single rule to remember

Perfect auxiliaries (has/have/had) require the past participle (started, gone, begun). The -ing form pairs with be (is/are/am) for ongoing actions. Future uses will + base verb.

Wrong: has starting →
Right: has started
Wrong: will started →
Right: will start
Wrong: is started (when meaning 'is beginning') →
Right: is starting

Wrong: He has starting the project.
Right: He has started the project.

Grammar details: participles, perfect vs progressive

Past participle marks completed or relevant actions (present perfect: have/has + past participle). Present participle (-ing) marks ongoing action (progressive: be + -ing). Many verbs can take either -ing or to-infinitive after them (start doing / start to do), but auxiliaries still determine the form.

Present perfect: I have started (action completed or relevant now).
Past simple: I started (specific time in the past).
Present progressive: I am starting (action in progress now).
Future: I will start (planned future action).

Wrong: I have starting to study for the exam.
Right: I have started to study for the exam.

Many common wrong/right pairs (copy these)

Scan for helpers (has/have/had/will/is/are). If the helper is has/have/had, use the past participle (started/gone/begun). If it's will, use the base verb. If it's is/are/am, use -ing.

Wrong: He has starting doing that. →
Right: He has started doing that.
Wrong: I will started the update tomorrow. →
Right: I will start the update tomorrow.
Wrong: They are started working on the report. →
Right: They have started working on the report.
Wrong: She had start doing her research before the deadline. →
Right: She had started doing her research before the deadline.
Wrong: We have starting the audit this week. →
Right: We have started the audit this week.
Wrong: She has went home. →
Right: She has gone home.
Wrong: They have began the tests. →
Right: They have begun the tests.

Work examples: quick corrections for emails and reports

Choose the form that matches your status: 'have started' for ongoing relevance, 'started' for a past event, 'will start' for plans. Each item shows the wrong sentence, a short fix, and a polished sentence for updates.

Wrong: We has starting the migration last Friday. → Fix: We started the migration last Friday. → Polished: Our team started the migration last Friday and it's 40% complete.
Wrong: The team are starting submitted their drafts. → Fix: The team have started submitting their drafts. → Polished: The team has started submitting drafts; I'll compile them by Friday.
Wrong: I will started the vendor onboarding next Monday. → Fix: I will start the vendor onboarding next Monday. → Polished: I will start vendor onboarding next Monday and send the timeline today.

School examples: essays, emails to professors, study plans

Academic writing needs clear timelines. Use past simple for completed steps, present perfect for work that began earlier and matters now, past perfect for actions before another past event.

Wrong: I has starting my thesis literature review last week. → Fix: I started my thesis literature review last week.
Wrong: We have starting the experiment when the power went out. → Fix: We had started the experiment when the power went out.
Wrong: She is starting submit the assignment tonight. → Fix: She will start submitting the assignment tonight.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone-context clarifies the intended meaning.

Casual examples: texts, chats, and social posts

Casual tone allows contractions, but verb form errors still read like typos. Fast fixes you can use in messages or posts:

Wrong: I've starting watching that show-it's great! → Fix: I've started watching that show-it's great!
Wrong: They has starting a new hobby. → Fix: They've started a new hobby.
Wrong: Are you started yet? → Fix: Are you starting yet?

Rewrite help: three quick steps and useful rewrites

Checklist: 1) Find the auxiliary (has/have/had/will/is/are). 2) Choose perfect, progressive or future. 3) Replace the verb form: past participle for perfect, be + -ing for progressive, base verb after will.

Step 1: Underline helpers (has/have/had/will/is/are).
Step 2: If perfect → past participle (started). If progressive → be + -ing (is/are starting). If future → will + base.
Step 3: Read the sentence aloud after the swap to check meaning.

Rewrite:
Wrong: She has starting the course. → Fix: She has started the course. →
Alternative: She's started the course.
Rewrite:
Wrong: I will started tomorrow. → Fix: I will start tomorrow. →
Alternative: I'll start tomorrow.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Are you started? → Fix: Are you starting? →
Alternative: Have you started?
Rewrite:
Wrong: They've starting the rollout. → Fix: They've started the rollout. → Polished: The rollout has started; status update to follow.
Rewrite:
Wrong: He had starting the task before lunch. → Fix: He had started the task before lunch. → Polished: He had started the task before lunch, so we continued with step two.

Memory tricks and quick drills

Two mnemonics: 1) Perfect = Past Participle (both start with 'P'). 2) Will → base verb (will never pairs with past forms).

Mnemonic: 'Perfect = Past Participle' (P = P).
Daily 5-minute drill: correct five sentences focusing on auxiliaries for a week.
If unsure, substitute 'I have started' or 'I am starting' and see which meaning fits.

Usage drill: They have starting the rollout → corrected: They have started the rollout.
Tip: Say 'STAMP' on the verb when you mean completion: has (STAMP) started.

Similar mistakes, hyphenation and spacing to check at the same time

The auxiliary rule applies to many irregular verbs (go → gone, begin → begun). Also check hyphenation and spacing: verbs are single words (starting, started), not hyphenated, and auxiliaries should sit next to their verb without stray punctuation.

Fix participles first; then scan for typos that hide the verb: extra spaces, misplaced commas, or incorrect hyphens.

Wrong: She has went home →
Right: She has gone home.
Wrong: We have began →
Right: We have begun.
Hyphenation: Do not write 'start-ing' or 'start ed'.
Spacing: Avoid double spaces between auxiliary and verb (e.g., 'has started').
Punctuation: Don't put a comma between auxiliary and participle ('has, started').

Wrong: Incorrect hyphenation: start-ing → Fix: starting
Wrong: Typo: He has, started the test. → Fix: He has started the test.

FAQ

Is 'has starting' ever correct?

No. 'Has starting' is ungrammatical because has needs a past participle. Use 'has started' for perfect aspect, or 'is starting' for progressive meaning.

Should I use 'started doing' or 'started to do'?

Both are usually correct and often mean the same. The important point is to use 'started' rather than 'starting' when the auxiliary requires a past form.

Why do I mix 'starting' and 'started' when I write quickly?

Fast typing, translation interference, and unclear auxiliary rules cause the slip. Use the three-step checklist (find auxiliary → pick perfect/progressive/future → swap form) to fix it.

Can grammar checkers catch 'has starting'?

Yes-most quality checkers will flag 'has starting' and suggest 'has started' or 'is starting' depending on context. Review suggestions to ensure they match your intended meaning.

How do I pick between 'have started' and 'had started'?

Use 'have/has started' when the action began in the past and still matters now. Use 'had started' when the action occurred before another past event. Example: 'We had started the experiment when the power failed.'

Want to check one sentence now?

Run the three-step checklist: find the auxiliary, choose perfect/progressive/future, then swap the verb form. For quick confidence, replace the phrase with 'has started' or 'is starting' and see which meaning fits.