Have Got
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Possession and ownership (mainly British English)
- •Physical characteristics and relationships
- •Availability of something
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.
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