Had vs Has
Grammar Cheat Sheet
Tricky Tenses
Has
Use has when something happened in the past and is still ongoing or relevant to the present time.
Anna Wintour is the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. She has/had held that position since Grace stepped down in 1988.
Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988.
Anna Wintour had been the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988.
The reason: Anna Wintour still holds the position of Editor-in-Chief of Vogue.
Had
Use had when something happened and ended before a certain time or before another past action.
Anna Wintour started at Vogue in 1985. Anna Wintour has/had worked for Harper’s & Queen Magazine before she came to Vogue.
Anna Wintour had worked for Harper’s & Queen Magazine before working for Vogue.
Anna Wintour has worked for Harper’s & Queen Magazine before working for Vogue.
The reason: Anna Wintour’s stint at Harper’s & Queen ended before she moved on to Vogue.
