Have got and Have – what is the difference?
“Have got” and “have” have the same meaning. You use them to talk about:
- Possession: I have got three rabbits.
- Illnesses: She has a flu.
- Relationship: He has two sisters.
- Characteristics: Tania has such a lovely smile.
Points to remember:
- In the contexts above, you can’t use “have got/have” in continuous forms.
- “Have got” sounds more informal than ”have”.
Do you remember how to conjugate the verb “to have”? That’s great, then “have got” is a breeze, and you are almost ready to use it!
This is how to ask questions and give negative and positive answers using “have”:
- Does she have a bus ticket?
Yes,she has a bus ticket/Yes, she has.
No, she doesn’t have a bus ticket/ No, she doesn’t.
Now compare “have got”:
- Have you got a bus ticket?
Yes, I have got a bus ticket/Yes, I’ve got a bus ticket.
No, I have not got a bus ticket/ No, I haven’t got a bus ticket
In point A, you use the auxiliary verb “do”, you don’t use it in point B.
The table below provides more examples:
| Affirmative sentences | Negative sentences | Questions | |
| HAVE GOT | I have got two sisters.
You have got a dog. She/he/it has big ears. We have got a flu. You have got brown hair. They have got friends in Spain. |
I haven’t got two sisters.
You haven’t got a dog. She/he/it has big ears. We haven’t got a flu. You haven’t got brown hair. They haven’t got friends in Spain. |
Have I got two sisters?
Have you got a dog? Has she/he/it got big? Have we got a flu? Have you got brown hair? Have they got friends in Spain? |
| HAVE | I have two sisters.
You have a dog. She/he/it has big ears. We have a flu. You have brown hair. They have friends in Spain. |
I don’t have two sisters.
You don’t have a dog. She/he/it doesn’t have big ears. We don’t have a flu. You don’t have brown hair. They don’t have friends in Spain. |
Do you have two sisters?
Do you have a dog? Does she/he/it have big ears? Do we have a flu? Do you have brown hair? Do they have friends in Spain? |