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I have read in http://portlandenglish.edu/blog/how-to-use-being-and-having-as-gerunds/ about the use of "having".

The website describes as follows:

  • Having a big house costs a lot of money. [ Having a big house = subject]
  • Many people dream about having a big house. [ Having a big house = object of a preposition]
  • His dream is having a big house. [ Having a big house = subject complement]

Again, we are talking about this situation or condition of having a big house. To make it negative, just add “not” in front of the gerund.

  • Not having servants would be difficult if your house were so big!

  • Having too much work stresses him out.

  • He hates having too much work.

  • Not having too much work would make him so much happier!

My question:

"Having' always Implies or refers to 'possession' If we use "having" as a gerund where “having” can act as the subject or object in a sentence?

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  • I'm afraid I don't understand your question. Can you make it clearer? "Having a big house" is a nominalisation of "(someone) has a big house", so it does refer to possession.
    – Colin Fine
    Oct 29, 2016 at 21:52
  • A person is not required as the possessor. In the sentence "Having good brakes makes a car safe" there is no person involved; but having in such constructions means possessing. Note that this is a different verb than have to, which connotes obligation, as in "Having to think about this question gives me a headache."
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Oct 29, 2016 at 22:00
  • @Colin Fine I think I've made it clearer
    – yubraj
    Oct 30, 2016 at 1:12
  • @P.E Dent Do yoa mean 'having' as a gerund always acts a possession ? I've never seen 'having to' before working as a gerund.
    – yubraj
    Oct 30, 2016 at 1:16
  • You've seen it now! Have to is the subject of some disagreement over whether or not it is a phrasal verb, but I don't see how it can be one, so it seems that the gerund having denotes possession in the cases you describe except when it is part of having to.
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Oct 30, 2016 at 2:12

2 Answers 2

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I'm thinking about having my driveway repaved. 

The sentence above uses the gerund "having" to form a gerund phrase which is the object of the preposition "about".  The sense of "having" in this sentence is causative rather than possessive.

Having to repave my driveway ever couple of years is annoying. 

The sentence above uses the gerund "having" to form a gerund phrase which is the subject of the matrix clause.  The sense of "having" in this sentence can be considered as obligatory rather than possessive. 

If I understand your question correctly, you want to know whether the gerund "having" is only used for the possessive sense of the verb "to have".  These two counter-examples show that the possessive sense is not the only possible sense for the gerund in question. 

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"Having' always Implies or refers to 'possession' If we use "having" as a gerund where “having” can act as the subject or object in a sentence?

No, all the alternate meanings and phrasal variations of have work as gerunds.

Having your employees well trained is a good thing to do. (alternate meaning of have)

Having to go to court made John have to line up a ride. (phrasal variation have to X)

Also you can do this:

The machine is broken. Having said that, you can still use it if you be careful.

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