Have Got and Has Got
A1 · BeginnerBe, Have & Do"I've got a car" and "I have a car" mean exactly the same thing. Have got just adds got after have — the trick is knowing where it goes in a negative or a question.
What you'll learn
- The contracted forms: I've got, you've got, he's got, she's got, it's got, we've got, they've got
- Negatives with haven't got and hasn't got
- Questions with Have you got...? and Has she got...?
- Why "have got" sounds more British, and when Americans use it too
The core idea
Have got is just another way to say have for possession and for lasting things about a person — what they own, who's in their family, what they look like. "I've got a car" means exactly the same thing as "I have a car."
The extra piece is got, glued right after have or has. Once you know where got sits in a statement, negative, and question, the whole pattern is just three small moves.
Contracted statements
In everyday speech and writing, have got almost always shows up contracted: I've got, you've got, he's got, she's got, it's got, we've got, they've got.
He/she/it takes 's got, exactly the same split you already know from have and has: "He's got a new bike." "She's got blue eyes." "It's got a scratch on the door."
Everyone else takes 've got: "I've got two sisters." "You've got great handwriting." "We've got a table by the window." "They've got a dog."
Negatives: haven't got / hasn't got
To make a negative, put n't straight after have or has — got stays right where it was: "I haven't got a pen." "She hasn't got a car." "We haven't got much time."
There's no do or does anywhere in this pattern — haven't and hasn't already do that job by themselves.
Questions: Have you got...? / Has she got...?
To ask a question, move have or has to the front of the sentence — got stays put right after it: "Have you got a pen?" "Has he got a car?" "Have they got tickets?"
Again, no do or does — have and has move on their own. Mixing the two patterns ("Does she have got a car?") is one of the most common mistakes with this structure.
American vs. British: which one do people actually use?
Both "I have a car" and "I've got a car" are correct and mean the same thing. The difference is how often each one gets used.
American English defaults to plain have — "I have a car," "Do you have a minute?" Have got shows up too, especially in casual speech, but it's less common in writing.
British English uses have got constantly in everyday conversation — for a British speaker, "I've got a car" often sounds more natural than "I have a car" in casual talk.
One quick note so you don't mix this up later: "I've got a promotion" can also be short for present-perfect "I have gotten/got a promotion," meaning "I received one." That's a completely different structure (built on the verb get, not on possession) and isn't part of this lesson.
Real English
Watch out
He/she/it needs hasn't got, not haven't got — the same split as has vs. have.
"You" always pairs with have/haven't/Have — never has.
Don't mix do/does with got — either ask "Does she have a dog?" or "Has she got a dog?", never both together.
Have got works for possession and lasting traits, not action verbs like eating — "have breakfast" stays plain have.
Real life — Checking in for an appointment
"Hi, I've got a 2 o'clock with Dr. Alvarez."
"Great — have you got your insurance card with you?"
"Yes, right here. Oh, and I haven't got my ID on me — is that a problem?"
"That's fine, we've got your information from last time."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct meaning
Which sentence means the same as "I have a car"?
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct form
Which sentence correctly uses "have got" for possession?
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct form
Complete the sentence: "He ___ a meeting at 3pm."
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct form
Which is the correct negative?
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct form
Which is the correct question?
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct form
Complete the sentence: "She ___ two cats."
Exercise 7 · Sort into groups
0 / 6 sorted
Exercise 8 · Build the sentence
Exercise 9 · Build the sentence
Exercise 10 · Build the sentence
Exercise 11 · Complete the sentence
Complete with the contracted form: "___ a new car." (they)
Exercise 12 · Complete the sentence
Complete the negative: "She ___ got any siblings." (one word)
Exercise 13 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "She hasn't a car."
Exercise 14 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "Has you got a pen?"
Exercise 15 · Real-life scenario
Your British friend texts: "I've got a doctor's appointment at 3." Which sentence means the same thing in everyday American English?
Exercise 16 · Choose the correct form
Which sentence is correct?
Quick challenge
Five mixed questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Which sentence is correct?
You learned
- Have got means the same as have for possession and lasting characteristics.
- Use 've got with I/you/we/they and 's got with he/she/it.
- Negatives put n't right after have/has: haven't got, hasn't got.
- Questions move have/has to the front: Have you got...? Has she got...?
- Have got is common in American speech but far more frequent in everyday British English.
Related grammar lessons
Do, Does and Did as Auxiliary Verbs
Learn how do, does and did build questions and negatives for ordinary verbs in the present and past simple — and why the main verb always stays in its base form.
Have and Has
Learn when to use have and when to use has — for I/you/we/they versus he/she/it — plus how to ask questions and make negatives with do/does, and avoid the most common mistakes.
Verb To Be
Learn am, is and are — statements, negatives, questions and short answers, contractions, and how be is used for identity, description, age and location.
Types of Nouns
Learn the difference between common and proper nouns, concrete and abstract nouns, and when to capitalize them — with real examples and practice.