What Does Have Got Mean?
Have got is a phrase we use to talk about:
- Possession: Things you own. For example, I’ve got a car.
- Family: Your relatives. For example, She’s got two brothers.
- Descriptions: How people or things look. For example, He’s got blue eyes.
- Illnesses: When you feel sick. For example, I’ve got a cold.
It has a similar meaning to the verb have when talking about these topics. However, have got is often more informal and common in spoken English, especially in British English.
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How Do We Form Sentences with Have Got?
The structure for have got is simple. We use have or has, plus got.
Positive Sentences
We use have got for I, you, we, they. We use has got for he, she, it.
- I have got (or I’ve got)
- You have got (or You’ve got)
- He has got (or He’s got)
- She has got (or She’s got)
- It has got (or It’s got)
- We have got (or We’ve got)
- They have got (or They’ve got)
Negative Sentences
To make a negative sentence, we add not between have/has and got.
- I have not got (or I haven’t got)
- You have not got (or You haven’t got)
- He has not got (or He hasn’t got)
- She has not got (or She hasn’t got)
- It has not got (or It hasn’t got)
- We have not got (or We haven’t got)
- They have not got (or They haven’t got)
Questions
To ask a question, we put Have or Has at the beginning of the sentence.
- Have I got…?
- Have you got…?
- Has he got…?
- Has she got…?
- Has it got…?
- Have we got…?
- Have they got…?
Short Answers
For short answers, we use Yes, I have. or No, I haven’t.
- Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
- Yes, you have. / No, you haven’t.
- Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
- Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.
- Yes, it has. / No, it hasn’t.
- Yes, we have. / No, we haven’t.
- Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | have got (‘ve got) | haven’t got | Have … got? |
| He / She / It | has got (‘s got) | hasn’t got | Has … got? |
Examples
- I’ve got a new bicycle.
- She’s got a big family.
- He hasn’t got a lot of money.
- Have you got any pets?
- Yes, I have. I’ve got a cat.
- My sister has got long, brown hair.
- We’ve got a lot of homework tonight.
- Has your brother got a new phone?
- No, he hasn’t.
- I’ve got a terrible headache.
Practice
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Chat with an Advisor on WhatsAppCommon mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish speakers sometimes make a few common mistakes with have got:
- Using do/does with have got: Remember, have got does not use do or does for questions or negatives.
- Incorrect: Do you have got a car?
- Correct: Have you got a car?
- Incorrect: She doesn’t have got a brother.
- Correct: She hasn’t got a brother.
- Incorrect subject-verb agreement: Always remember to use has got for he/she/it.
- Incorrect: He have got a dog.
- Correct: He has got a dog.
- Confusing have got with have for actions: Have got is only for possession, characteristics, or illnesses. It is not used for actions like have breakfast or have a shower.
- Incorrect: I’ve got breakfast at 8 AM.
- Correct: I have breakfast at 8 AM.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between have and have got?
For possession, family, and descriptions, have and have got mean the same thing. Have got is more common in informal British English. Have is more common in American English and can also be used for actions (like have lunch), which have got cannot.
Is have got more common in British or American English?
Have got is much more common in British English. In American English, people usually just use have for possession (e.g., I have a car instead of I’ve got a car).
Can I use have got for actions?
No, you cannot use have got for actions. It is only used for possession, characteristics, relationships, and illnesses. For actions like have a shower or have dinner, you must use only have.
How might have got be tested in the A2 Key for Schools exam?
In the A2 Key for Schools exam, you might see have got in tasks where you need to choose the correct word or form to complete a sentence, or in a gap-fill exercise. For example, you might need to choose between have got and has got based on the subject.
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