Have and Have got
Have and have got don't have any difference in meaning. However, they behave differently in the present simple. Have changes as an ordinary verb according to the rules of the present simple. Have got doesn't follow these rules.
Have and have got — positive
I have = I've got
he has = he's got
| Pronoun | have | have got |
|---|---|---|
| I you we they |
have | have got ('ve got) |
| he she it |
has | has got ('s got) |
Examples
Simon has a headache. = Simon's got a headache.
We have a car. = We've got a car.
You have blue eyes. = You've got blue eyes.
Have and have got — negative
I don’t have = I haven’t got
he doesn’t have = he hasn’t got
Mind that there's no auxiliary verb "do/does" if you use "have got".
| Pronoun | have | have got |
|---|---|---|
| I you we they |
don't have | haven't got |
| he she it |
doesn't have | hasn't got |
Examples
Kate doesn't have time. = Kate hasn't got time.
We don't have a dog. = We haven't got a dog.
They don't have children. = They haven't got children.
Have and have got — question
Do I have? = Have I got?
Does he have? = Has he got?
Notice that there's no auxiliary verb "do/does" in the questions with "have got".
| Pronoun | ||
|---|---|---|
| Do | I/you/we/they | have ...? |
| Have | got? | |
| Does | he/she/it | have ...? |
| Has | got ...? |
Examples
Do you have a dream? = Have you got a dream?
Does he have a plan? = Has he got a plan?
Do they have money? = Have they got money?
Short answers with "have got"
The short answers are also different:
— Do you have a pen? — No, I don’t.
— Have you got a pen? — No, I haven’t.
— Does he have a girlfriend? — Yes, he does.
— Has he got a girlfriend? — Yes, he has.
Pay attention
We can only use "have got" in the present simple. In all other tenses, we use "have".