Have or Have Got?

When do we use have got and when have?

In British English have got is used quite often, in other areas it is common to use the main verb have.

1. Affirmative sentences

have	have got
I have a father.	I have got a father.
I have a father.	I‘ve got a father.
You have a mother.	You have got a mother.
You have a mother.	You‘ve got a mother.
He has a dog.	He has got a dog.
He has a dog.	He‘s got a dog.
She has a book.	She has got a book.
She has a book.	She‘s got a book.
It has power.	It has got power.
It has power.	It‘s got power.
We have chairs.	We have got chairs.
We have chairs.	We‘ve got chairs.
You have a new car.	You have got a new car.
You have a new car.	You‘ve got a new car.
They have friends.	They have got friends.
They have friends.	They‘ve got friends.

have got is often used in its contracted form even in written English.

2. Negations

have	have got
I do not have a father.	I have not got a father.
I do not have a father.	I haven’t got a father.
I don’t have a father.	I‘ve not got a father.
You do not have a mother.	You have not got a mother.
You do not have a mother.	You haven’t got a mother.
You don’t have a mother.	You‘ve not got a mother.
He does not have a dog.	He has not got a dog.
He does not have a dog.	He hasn’t got a dog.
He doesn’t have a dog.	He‘s not got a dog.
She does not have a book.	She has not got a book.
She does not have a book.	She hasn’t got a book.
She doesn’t have a book.	She‘s not got a book.
It does not have power.	It has not got power.
It does not have power.	It hasn’t got power.
It doesn’t have power.	It‘s not got power.
We do not have chairs.	We have not got chairs.
We do not have chairs.	We haven’t got chairs.
We don’t have chairs.	We‘ve not got chairs.
You do not have a car.	You have not got a car.
You do not have a car.	You haven’t got a car.
You don’t have a car.	You‘ve not got a car.
They do not have friends.	They have not got friends.
They do not have friends.	They haven’t got friends.
They don’t have friends.	They‘ve not got friends.

3. Questions

have	have got
Do I have money?	Have I got money?
Do you have books?	Have you got books?
Does he have a laptop?	Has he got a laptop?
Does she have a smart phone?	Has she got a smart phone?
Does it have lights?	Has it got lights?
Do we have milk?	Have we got milk?
Do you have a new car?	Have you got a new car?
Do they have friends?	Have they got friends?

There can be negations in questions too.

have	have got
Don’t you have a car?	Haven’t you got a car?

4. Attention!

4.1. The contracted forms ‘ve or ‘s are only used with have got – not with have.

right	wrong
I‘ve got a new smart phone.	~~I’ve a new smart phone.~~
He‘s got a new car.	~~He’s a new car.~~

4.2. Do not use an auxiliary with have got – only with have. Pay attention when using negations.

right	wrong
Have you got a house?	~~Do you have got a house?~~
Do you have a car?	~~Have you a car?~~
They haven’t got a mother.	~~They haven’t a brother.~~

4.3. have cannot always be substituted with have got. You can only substitute have with have got when you talk about relationships and possession.

have	have got
I have a brother.	I‘ve got a brother.
I had an operation.	~~I had got an operation.~~
We had dinner.	~~We had got dinner.~~

► In American English have is dropped in informal speech as in the following example.

I‘ve got an idea. → I got an idea.