“Have” & “Have got”

Welcome to your “Have” & “Have got” lesson! In this topic we talk about:
• What’s the difference between “Have” and “Have got”?
• Questions and negative sentences
• “Have” with experiences.
Take the quizzes when you’re ready! If you’re having problems, use the comment box to contact our English Teachers.

What’s the difference between “Have” and “Have got”?

“Have” or “have got” can both be used to talk about possessions, relationships, illnesses etc:

For the past, we have to use “had” (without “got”):

“Bob had a stomach ache last night.”

Questions and negative sentences

Sometimes you will hear sentences like this:

“I haven’t enough time.”

“Have you a bike?’

These sentences leave out the verb. These types of sentences are becoming less and less used in English, so it’s better to not use them.

With the past, we always use “did/didn’t” (without “got”);

“They didn’t have any tomatoes.”

“Have” with experiences

We normally use “have” (without “got”) when we talk about actions or experiences. Have a look at these examples:

“I have sausages every Tuesday.”
(not “I have got sausages every Tuesday.”)

“She has a rest when she gets home.”
(not “She has got a rest when she gets home.”)

“We always have fun at the beach.”
(not “We always have got fun at the beach.”)

Recap

• “Have” or “Have got” can both be used to talk about possessions, relationships, illnesses etc.
• For the past, we have to use “had”.
• We normally use “have” when we talk about actions or experiences.