Have got

Two sentences that mean the same thing, and both are correct.

The first is heard more often in British English and in conversation. The difference shows up in the question, because these two structures build it differently.

Got here does not mean received, and it is not translated on its own. Have got together simply means to have. The form is always got, never get.

Ukrainian starts with “at me”, but an English sentence starts with the owner. The owner is the subject, then comes have got, and then the thing.

Have got and has got

The form follows the subject (the doer) as it does everywhere. He, she and it take has, and everyone else takes have.

In speech the structure is contracted: I've got, we've got, he's got. He's got here is he has got, not he is.

The third person singular means he, she or it, and also any one person, animal or thing, like my grandma or our flat. Only the third person singular takes has. When there are two subjects, like Max and I, that makes a we, so have. The form follows the subject, not the things it has.

Because the short form is the same, has got is easy to confuse with is. The word got gives it away. He's got a brother means he has a brother, while He's a brother means he is someone's brother. In the same way it's got means it has got, while its without an apostrophe means belonging to it.

What have got is used for

The structure describes what you have right now. That can be things, people, features or how you feel.

Places and illnesses work the same way. A town has its beaches, and you have a sore throat.

How to make negatives and questions

Here have acts as a helper, so it manages on its own. There is no need to call in do.

In the short answer the word got is not repeated: Yes, I have. No, she hasn't.

In a yes answer have is stressed, so it is never shortened. You say Yes, I have, never Yes, I've.

In negatives and questions any usually goes before a plural or uncountable noun. An uncountable noun is one you do not count one by one, like money or time. A second negative never goes next to haven't.

Questions with a question word, like how many or what, are built the same way. The question word goes first, then have or has, then the subject and got.

Have got or have

In a positive sentence there is no difference in meaning, so take whichever you like. But their questions and negatives differ, and that is exactly where the two must not be mixed.

Plain have also changes with the subject and becomes has with he, she and it. But negatives and questions bring in the helper does, the word that builds them. The ending moves to it, and the verb goes back to have.

A short answer repeats the helper that the question started with.

Have got speaks only about possession or a state. A regular action needs plain have with no got.

Common mistakes

The first is taking have for he, she or it.

The second is mixing the two structures in one question.

The third is repeating got in the short answer.

The first shows in the subject. He, she, it or any one person or thing takes has. The second is caught by the word got. If it is in the question, have is the helper and do is not needed. The third shows in the short answer, which keeps only have, has or do and does not repeat got.