Present simple: 'have got'

Look at these examples to see how we use have/has got.

I've got a big family.
We haven't got a garden.
Have you got any pets?

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Grammar A1-A2: 'have got': 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We use I/you/we/they + have got or he/she/it + has got to talk about things that we have.

In many situations, have and have got mean the same thing. Have got is a little less formal than have. We often use have got more in speaking and have more in writing.

They have got a big garden. = They have a big garden.
She has got a good job. = She has a good job.

We can use have/has got to talk about appearance, family and friends or possessions. We often contract the verb, especially when we're speaking.

I have got brown hair. = I've got brown hair.
My sister has got long hair. = My sister's got long hair.
He has not got many friends. = He hasn't got many friends.
They have got a new car. = They've got a new car.

We can also use have/has got for timetabled events, illnesses or abstract things.

They've got basketball practice this evening.
He's got a terrible cold. 
I've got a good idea!

Affirmative

Negative

For negatives, use not after have/has. We can contract negatives.

We have not got any pets. = We haven't got any pets.
She has not got a brother. = She hasn't got a brother.

Questions

To make questions, use have/has + subject + got.

Have you got a big house?
How many rooms has it got?

Short answers

For yes/no questions, we can use short answers.

Have you got a new job? No, I haven't.
Has she got a meeting this morning? Yes, she has.

Have/has got is only used in the present tense. For the past, use had without got.

I had got a red bike when I was young.
I had a red bike when I was young.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Grammar A1-A2: 'have got': 2