B1Grammar

Have and Have Got: A Simple Guide for B1 English Learners

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Welcome to your English grammar lesson on ‘have’ and ‘have got’! If you’re learning English at a B1 level, understanding how to use these verbs correctly is super important. They are used all the time in spoken and written English, especially when talking about possession, relationships, and characteristics. This lesson will make it easy for you to understand and use ‘have’ and ‘have got’ with confidence. Let’s dive in!

What is ‘Have and Have Got’?

Both ‘have‘ and ‘have got‘ are used to talk about possession, meaning to own something. They can also describe relationships, characteristics, and illnesses. Think of them as saying the same thing, but in slightly different ways. Understanding the nuances will improve your English grammar and make your spoken English sound more natural.

Basic Meanings:

  • Possession: Showing ownership (e.g., “I have a car.” or “I have got a car.”)
  • Relationships: Describing family or connections (e.g., “She has a brother.” or “She has got a brother.”)
  • Characteristics: Talking about features (e.g., “The house has a big garden.” or “The house has got a big garden.”)
  • Illnesses: Describing sickness (e.g., “He has a cold.” or “He has got a cold.”)

How to Use ‘Have’ and ‘Have Got’

‘Have Got’ – The Basics

‘Have got‘ is generally more common in British English and is often considered more informal. It’s formed using ‘have‘ as an auxiliary verb and ‘got‘ as the past participle of ‘get’.

Affirmative Form (‘Have Got’ – Positive Sentences)

Here’s how to make positive sentences with ‘have got‘:

  • 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‘ve got a new phone. (Possession)
  • She‘s got long hair. (Characteristic)
  • They‘ve got two children. (Relationship)
  • He‘s got a headache. (Illness)
Negative Form (‘Have Got’ – Negative Sentences)

To make negative sentences with ‘have got‘, we add ‘not‘ after ‘have‘ or ‘has‘. We often use contractions (short forms).

  • I have not got / I haven’t got
  • You have not got / You haven’t got
  • He has not got / He hasn’t got
  • She has not got / She hasn’t got
  • It has not got / It hasn’t got
  • We have not got / We haven’t got
  • They have not got / They haven’t got

Examples:

  • I haven’t got a car. (Possession – negative)
  • She hasn’t got any brothers or sisters. (Relationship – negative)
  • The room hasn’t got a window. (Characteristic – negative)
  • He hasn’t got the flu. (Illness – negative)
Question Form (‘Have Got’ – Questions)

To ask questions with ‘have got‘, we invert ‘have‘ or ‘has‘ with the subject.

  • Have I got…?
  • Have you got…?
  • Has he got…?
  • Has she got…?
  • Has it got…?
  • Have we got…?
  • Have they got…?

Short Answers:

  • Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
  • Yes, you have. / No, you haven’t.
  • Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
  • Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.
  • Yes, it has. / No, it hasn’t.
  • Yes, we have. / No, we haven’t.
  • Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.

Examples:

  • Have you got a pen? – Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
  • Has she got a dog? – Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.
  • Have they got any questions? – Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.

‘Have’ – The Basics

‘Have‘ can also be used to talk about possession, relationships, and characteristics. In this case, it acts like a main verb. This form is common in both British and American English, and is often considered slightly more formal than ‘have got‘.

Affirmative Form (‘Have’ – Positive Sentences)

Here’s how to make positive sentences with ‘have‘:

  • I have
  • You have
  • He has
  • She has
  • It has
  • We have
  • They have

Examples:

  • I have a new bike. (Possession)
  • She has blue eyes. (Characteristic)
  • They have a big family. (Relationship)
  • He has a fever. (Illness)
Negative Form (‘Have’ – Negative Sentences)

To make negative sentences with ‘have‘ (when used for possession etc.), we typically use the auxiliary verb ‘do‘ and ‘not‘. We use ‘don’t have‘ and ‘doesn’t have‘.

  • 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 much time. (Possession – negative)
  • She doesn’t have any pets. (Relationship – negative)
  • The car doesn’t have air conditioning. (Characteristic – negative)
  • He doesn’t have a temperature. (Illness – negative)
Question Form (‘Have’ – Questions)

To ask questions with ‘have‘ (for possession etc.), we also use the auxiliary verb ‘do‘ or ‘does‘.

  • Do I have…?
  • Do you have…?
  • Does he have…?
  • Does she have…?
  • Does it have…?
  • Do we have…?
  • Do they have…?

Short Answers:

  • Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
  • Yes, you do. / No, you don’t.
  • Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.
  • Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
  • Yes, it does. / No, it doesn’t.
  • Yes, we do. / No, we don’t.
  • Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.

Examples:

  • Do you have a dictionary? – Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
  • Does she have a driver’s license? – Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
  • Do they have any brothers or sisters? – Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.

When to Use ‘Have got’ vs. ‘Have’

In many situations, ‘have got‘ and ‘have‘ are interchangeable when talking about possession, relationships, and characteristics, especially in present simple tense. However, there are subtle differences:

  • Formality: ‘Have got‘ is generally considered more informal, especially in British English. ‘Have‘ is slightly more formal and common in American English.
  • Usage in Continuous Tenses: We don’t usually use ‘have got‘ in continuous tenses (like present continuous). We use ‘have‘ as a main verb for actions, not possession, in continuous tenses. For example, “I am having lunch” (action) is correct, but we don’t say “I am having got lunch.” However, for possession, we generally stick to simple present.
  • Past Simple: For past simple, we only use ‘had‘. We don’t use ‘have got’ in the past. For example, “I had a car last year.” (Correct) not “I had got a car last year.” (Incorrect).

Common Mistakes with ‘Have and Have Got’

Here are some common mistakes English learners make with ‘have‘ and ‘have got‘, so you can avoid them!

  • Mixing ‘have got’ with ‘do/does’ questions: Avoid using “Do you have got…?” or “Does she have got…?” – this is incorrect. Remember, for ‘have got‘ questions, you start with ‘Have‘ or ‘Has‘.
  • Using ‘have got’ in past tenses: Don’t use ‘have got’ for past situations. Use ‘had‘.
  • Forgetting ‘got’ in ‘have got’: Sometimes learners just say “I have a car?” (question form) when they mean ‘Have you got a car?’. Make sure to include ‘got‘ when you are using the ‘have got‘ structure.

Let’s Practice!

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of ‘have‘ or ‘have got‘. Choose the form that sounds most natural in each sentence. Remember to consider if it should be positive, negative, or a question.

  1. She _______ (got) a beautiful garden.
  2. _______ (you got) any brothers or sisters?
  3. They _______ (not have) enough money to buy a new house.
  4. I _______ (have) a terrible headache.
  5. _______ (he have) a car or a motorbike?
  6. We _______ (got) a meeting at 3 PM.
  7. The hotel _______ (not have) a swimming pool.
  8. _______ (they got) time to help us?
  9. He _______ (have) a new job.
  10. You _______ (not have) to worry. Everything will be fine.

Answers to Practice Exercises

  1. She has got (or has) a beautiful garden.
  2. Have you got (or Do you have) any brothers or sisters?
  3. They don’t have (or haven’t got) enough money to buy a new house.
  4. I have (or have got) a terrible headache.
  5. Does he have (or Has he got) a car or a motorbike?
  6. We have got (or have) a meeting at 3 PM.
  7. The hotel doesn’t have (or hasn’t got) a swimming pool.
  8. Have they got (or Do they have) time to help us?
  9. He has (or has got) a new job.
  10. You don’t have (or haven’t got) to worry. Everything will be fine.

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