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    Learn Courses Basic level Verbs Have vs have got

Verbs - Lesson 6.4

Have vs. Have got

(El verbo tener)


"I HAVE 2 cats". "HAVE you GOT any pets?" We use the verbs "have" and "have got" to indicate possession. Continue below to learn the uses and the differences between these 2 verbs.

The verbs “to have” and “to have got” both indicate possession in English, but it is important to keep in mind that the structure of these verbs is very different. These two verbs can be used to talk about relationships, illnesses and characteristics, but it is very important to note that “to have” has various other meanings and uses. “Have” is more commonly used in American English and “have got” is more often used in British English.

Structure

Affirmative

HAVE GOT

Have got” is often used in colloquial language and frequently in the contracted or short form.

Note: “Have got” can only be used in the present simple tense. In the past tense, we use only “have” (conjugation: “had”).

Subject Present Simple Short Form
I   have got   I’ve got
you   have got   you’ve got
he   has got   he’s got
she   has got   she’s got
it   has got   it’s got
we   have got   we’ve got
they   have got   they’ve got

Examples:

  I have got a car.
  You have got two brothers.
  He has got a big house.
  She has got a cold.
  It has got a ball.
  We have got brown hair.
  They have got red bicycles.

HAVE

Note: There is no short form for “have” in the affirmative.

Subject Present Simple
I   have
you   have
he   has
she   has
it   has
we   have
they   have

Examples:

  I have a car.
  You have two brothers.
  He has a big house.
  She has a cold.
  It has a ball.
  We have brown hair.
  They have red bicycles.

Negative

HAVE GOT

Subject Present Simple Short Form
I   have not got   I’ve not got
  I haven’t got
you   have not got   you’ve not got
  you haven’t got
he   has not got   he’s not got
  he hasn’t got
she   has not got   she’s not got
  she hasn’t got
it   has not got   it’s not got
  it hasn’t got
we   have not got   we’ve not got
  we haven’t got
they   have not got   they’ve not got
  they haven’t got

Examples:

  I haven’t got a car.
  You’ve not got two brothers.
  He hasn’t got a big house.
  She’s not got a cold.
  It hasn’t got a ball.
  We’ve not got brown hair.
  They haven’t got red bicycles.

HAVE

Subject Present Simple Short Form
I   do not have   I don’t have
you   do not have   you don’t have
he   does not have   he doesn’t have
she   does not have   she doesn’t have
it   does not have   it doesn’t have
we   do not have   we don’t have
they   do not have   they don’t have

Examples:

  I don’t have a car.
  You don’t have two brothers.
  He doesn’t have a big house.
  She doesn’t have a cold.
  It doesn’t have a ball.
  We don’t have brown hair.
  They don’t have red bicycles.

Interrogative

HAVE GOT

Subject Present Simple
I   Have I got?
you   Have you got?
he   Has he got?
she   Has she got?
it   Has it got?
we   Have we got?
they   Have they got?

Examples:

  Have I got a car?
  Have you got two brothers?
  Has he got a big house?
  Has she got a cold?
  Has it got a ball?
  Have we got brown hair?
  Have they got red bicycles?

HAVE

Subject Present Simple
I   Do I have?
you   Do you have?
he   Does he have?
she   Does she have?
it   Does it have?
we   Do we have?
they   Do they have?

Examples:

  Do I have a car?
  Do you have two brothers?
  Does he have a big house?
  Does she have a cold?
  Does it have a ball?
  Do we have brown hair?
  Do they have red bicycles?

Note: As these two verbs are used to indicate possession, they cannot be used in the continuous tenses. See the lesson on the continuous verb tenses for more information.

Note: As these two verbs are used to indicate possession, they cannot be used in the continuous tenses. See the lesson on the continuous verb tenses for more information.

Other Uses of “Have”

As mentioned previously, “to have” has various other meanings for both actions and experiences. In these uses, “to have” may be used in the continuous.

Examples:

  to have breakfast / lunch / dinner / a snack / a drink
  to have a bath / a shower / a swim / a break / a party / a holiday
  to have an experience / an accident / a dream
  to have a conversation / discussion / argument
  to have trouble / fun / a good time
  to have a baby

Note: “To Have” is also used as an auxiliary verb in forming the perfect tenses. For more information, see the lessons on the present perfect and past perfect.

Note: “To Have” is also used as an auxiliary verb in forming the perfect tenses. For more information, see the lessons on the present perfect and past perfect.

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