Grammar Language

Difference Between Have and Have got

Difference Between Have and Have got

Summary: The Difference Between Have and Have got is Have got means exactly the same as have in most cases. We use Have and have got to express possession, relationships and illnesses.

Difference Between Have and Have got

Have got

Have got means exactly the same as have in most cases. Note that got-forms of have are informal. They are mostly used to talk about the present time. Do is not used in questions and negatives with got.

  • She has got a new boyfriend.
  • Has she got a new boyfriend? (NOT Does she have got a new boyfriend?)
  • No, she hasn’t got a new boyfriend. (NOT No, she doesn’t have got a new boyfriend.)
  • I have got toothache.
  • Have you got toothache?
  • No, I don’t have toothache.

Have

Got-forms of have are not used in short answers or tags.

  • ‘Have you got a torch?’ ‘No, I haven’t.’ (NOT No, I haven’t got.)

Got-forms of have are not normally used to talk about past events.

  • I had a strange experience yesterday. (NOT I had got a strange experience yesterday.)

Got-forms of have are not normally used to talk about repeated states.

Compare

  • I have got a meeting today. (More natural than ‘I have a meeting today.’)
  • I often have meetings. (NOT I often have got meetings.) We do not normally use have got to talk about repeated states.

When have is not used with got, do is usually used in questions and negatives.

  • Do you often have meetings? (NOT Have you often meetings?)
  • No, I don’t have meetings very often.

 

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