Have Got
Use have got (or has got for he/she/it) to talk about possession, family, or physical characteristics — it means exactly the same as plain have, but is more common in British English and only exists in the present tense.
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Possession and ownership (mainly British English)
- •Physical characteristics and relationships
- •Availability of something
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →When do we use have got?
Have got talks about possession ("I've got a new phone"), family and relationships ("I've got two sisters"), physical characteristics ("He's got blue eyes"), and asking about availability ("Have you got any milk?").
Have got vs have — what's the difference?
They mean exactly the same thing for possession in the present tense: "I've got a car" and "I have a car" are both correct. Have got is more common in British English and in speech; plain have is more common in American English and in formal writing.
How do you make negatives and questions with have got?
For negatives, add n't (or not) after have/has: "She hasn't got any brothers." For questions, move have/has before the subject: "Have you got a pen?"
Comparison Table
| Form | British English | American English | Past tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| have got | ✓ very common | – less common | ✗ no past form (use "had") |
| have | ✓ also correct | ✓ more common | ✓ had (all tenses) |
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Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | have got | haven't got (have not) | Have you got a pen? |
| He / She / It | has got | hasn't got (has not) | Has she got a pen? |
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More Examples
I've got two sisters.
Family relationships (possession)
He's got blue eyes.
Physical appearance
Have you got any milk?
Asking about availability
She hasn't got a car.
Negative possession
Common Mistakes
- ✗"Have got" is informal; in formal writing, prefer "have" alone (e.g., "I have a car").
- ✗Do not use "have got" in past tense to mean possession — use "had": "I had a dog" not "I had got a dog".
Tips
- ✓"Have got" and "have" mean the same for possession in present tense — both are correct.
- ✓In American English, "have" is more common; "have got" is more British.
Advanced Notes
"Have got" is a present-tense-only construction — it has no past form ("had got" is grammatically possible but sounds archaic). American learners find it confusing because American English defaults to bare "have". In formal registers and written English, British style guides also prefer simple "have". The construction is extremely common in British spoken English and film/TV, so recognition is important even if learners opt to use "have" productively.
FAQ
Is have got formal or informal?
Have got is informal — it's common in speech and casual writing. In formal writing, prefer plain have: "I have a car" instead of "I've got a car."
What is the past tense of have got?
Have got has no past tense of its own for possession — use had instead: "I had a dog," not "I had got a dog."
Have got or have — do they mean the same thing?
Yes, for possession in the present tense they mean exactly the same thing — both are correct: "I have a car" = "I've got a car."
Is have got British or American English?
It's more common in British English. American English tends to use plain have more often, though both understand and sometimes use have got.
What is the difference between have got and to be?
Have got shows possession — what the subject owns: "I have got a car." To be shows identity, location, or feeling: "I am tired."
Practice
- 1.I a new phone.
- 2.She two brothers.
- 3. you got a pen?
- 4.He any money.
- 5. she got blue eyes?
Compare With
Other A1 Topics
Present Simple
Used for habits, facts, and permanent states
Past Simple
Used for completed actions at a specific past time
Future with Will
Used for predictions, promises, and spontaneous decisions
Verb "To Be"
Forms identity, location, feeling, and description
Articles: A, An, The
Used for specific vs general reference with nouns
Plural Nouns
Forms plurals for more than one countable noun
Possessive Adjectives
Used for showing ownership or relationship before a noun
Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those
Used for pointing to near or far people, things, or ideas
There Is / There Are
Used for stating existence or presence of something in a place
Imperative
Used for commands, instructions, requests, or advice
Question Words: What, Where, When, Why, How, Who
Used for asking specific information using what, where, when, why, how, who