Using have and have get. Verb to have (have, possess) in English

American: How many children do you have?
Englishwoman (mockingly): Normally one child a year.

Verbs have And have got translated into Russian “ have/possess” and can often be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, there are a number of situations when substitution of “shade” or grammatical function is simply unacceptable, as, for example, in the dialogue between an American and an Englishwoman. Her sarcastic response is justified by the fact that the design “ to have a baby"translated" give a birth to a baby”, when the norm would be to ask “ have you got", meaning " have something/have someone”.

A similar situation of misunderstanding could arise when asking about the availability of something (in a store/cafe/etc.):

Phrase " We don't have beer” will mean that beer is not sold in this place at all or “ We don't drink beer now. Can't you see?” If it were not available, you would hear in response:

We haven't got beer.- The beer is over.

Stylistic and lexical aspects

Verb to have can have two main meanings and special cases of translation (stable expressions).

Possession/ I have a sister.- I have a sister.
Action/process (Action) - I have breakfast.- I eat breakfast.

From this perspective, the following things should be understood:

* in meaning Possession Verbs to have and have got interchangeable, but to have cannot have a continuous tense form (Continuous):

I am having a sister.- incorrect
I have a sister./ She has got a car.- right

* In meaning Action verb to have will be translated according to the logic of the phrase in which it is used. Have got not used in this meaning. For example:

I have tea. - I'm drinking tea.
Mike has a shower. - Mike is taking a shower.

Another difference in the use of these verbs is that in British English to have presupposes regularity of action, while have got puts emphasis on the present moment (“ have now”):

I have lessons every day. - I have lessons every day.
I have got a lesson. - I have a lesson now.

The boundary between values ​​is quite fragile. In American English it is preferable to use to have.
If we are talking about the stylistics of using this or that option, then in British English have got preferable in spoken and spoken writing, A to have in official and book styles. In American spoken language, part t o have can be skipped altogether:

He (‘s) got a car.

Grammatical aspect

Have got in meaning " have/possess” is used only in the present simple tense and has two forms - singular and plural:

We have got a family.
It has got teeth.

In fact have got represents the perfect form ( Present Perfect) verb to get(get) what determines its meaning in the construction under consideration. That is, someone got hold of something and now owns it. It sounds rather tongue-tied, but clearly conveys the essence of the phrase:

get - got - have/ has got

She has got a car.- She has a car = She got (bought / stole / won, etc.) a car and now owns it.

Due to the fact that the verb have got is a perfect form, then according to the rules English grammar will construct interrogative and negative sentences without the help of auxiliary constructions:

She has got a boyfriend.
Has she got a boyfriend?
Yes, she has./ No, she hasn’t.
She hasn't got a boyfriend.

With design to have the matter is a little more complicated. In British English, it used to be normal to form interrogative and negative sentences with to have without auxiliary verbs. Now this prerogative remains with the verb only in book styles.
In the American version, an auxiliary verb is always used when forming a question and a negative sentence:

We have a house.
Have you a house? - Yes, we have./ No we haven’t (a house). British

Do you have a house? - Yes, we do./ No, we don’t (have a house). Amer.

Verb to have functions in all times and has its own forms:

Present - have/has
Past - had(single form)
Future- will have(single form)

We wish you interesting practice and success!

Victoria Tetkina

You've probably noticed that often in colloquial speech, along with the verb have They say have got. In this regard, many questions arise:

Have and have got - are they different verbs or the same thing?
Is it always possible to use have got instead of have?
How to form a negative and a question?
Have got - what is it, Present Perfect?

These and many other questions will no longer torment you after you carefully study the material in this article.

In textbooks, the name of the topic under consideration usually looks like this: HAVE (GOT). The presence of parentheses leads students to the misconception that got is an optional element that does not affect anything: say it or not. If you want to show off, then you can get it.

In fact, this approach may work in affirmative sentences, but negative and question forms may suffer. Another misconception is that have and have got completely replace each other in meaning. No, that's not true.

In this article we will examine in detail the main differences in the meanings and forms of the verbs have and have got. And your task is to remember and use them without errors.

When can both forms be used?

First: both forms are used when talking about possession (possession) - “someone has something”:

I have/ have got a car. - I have a car.

He has/has got a big house. - He has a big house.

Differences in Shapes

Constructions can only be confused in the present tense, because have got does not have a past tense form. In the past tense the verb had is used, without got:

He has/has got a girlfriend. - He has a girlfriend. (the present)

He had a girlfriend. - He had a girlfriend. (past)

Have got has a contraction and is often contracted in affirmation and negation, but the verb have is not contracted:

I've got a house. - I have a house.

I haven't got a flat. - I don't have an apartment.

He's got a dog. - He has a dog.

He hasn't got a cat. - He doesn't have a cat.

As for the different ones, there is no significant difference in the forms in the statement.

Have- acts like a regular verb in time, so to form negation and question we need the auxiliary verbs do and does.

Have got- this is not the same as , it is a special, atypical verb of two parts, in which have acts as an auxiliary verb, and got does not change.

Let's consider comparison tables with the forms have and have got :

Typical mistakes arise when constructing negatives and questions, because many perceive have as a verb that independently forms them, but forget about got.

In speech there are questions and denials constructed in this way, but we will speak according to the rules, not exceptions. Let's remember once and for all that if we start a question with have , then we need got . If the negation is haven’t , then we need got . If there is no got , then the auxiliary verb do or does is needed:

Have you a car? - maybe, but don't say so

Have you got a car? - Right

Do you have a car? - Right

I haven't a brother. - maybe, but don't say so

I haven't got a brother. - Right

I don't have a brother. - Right

We already mentioned that have got does not have a past tense form, so negation and questioning about the past will follow all the rules of the Past Simple tense.

Well, has it become clearer? Now you will always know exactly when you need have and when you have got, you will speak correctly and can teach others!

If the material was useful to you, write to us about it! Please “Like” and be sure to subscribe to our communities in

In this lesson we continue to study the design have got. It is used often and you need to learn it so that it will fly off your teeth. When we talk about our family in English, we say, for example: I've got a sister- I have a sister.

This construction is also used in conversations about possessing something ( I've got a skirt), about the presence of diseases ( I've got a flu), about planned events ( I've got a meeting), but for now we will focus on family and friendship ties.

- New words;
— Listening — listen to the dialogue;
- have you got - statements, questions and denials;
- pronunciation: connecting words in a sentence;
- exercises.

New words

New words are better remembered in sentences, so listen to the dialogue between the bank manager and Mr. Petrov, who wants to take out a loan. Try to hear new words in this dialogue. And then insert the missing words into the text of the dialogue and listen again and check if you understood the text correctly.

Changing have got by persons and numbers

As you can see from the table, everything is very simple here: a special form has got only for third party singular, that is, for “he”, “she” and “it”, and for everyone else - have got.

Take a look at these offers:
She's got a daughter (has)
She's very good-looking (is)
Sue's an engineer (is)
Sue's coat is short (her coat)
They have the same abbreviated form, but the abbreviation hides different things. You need to understand this well and learn to quickly identify them. The exercise at the end will help you with this.

Pronunciation of the short form have got

Pay attention to pronunciation short form verbs have got, especially for negatives, since they have one vowel sound dropped: haven't hasn't[ˈhæzənt]. Listen to these sentences several times:

I have got. She has got.
I've got. She's got.
Have I got? Has she got?
I have not got. She has not got.
I haven't got. She hasn't got.

Connecting words in an English sentence.

Here, in our first lessons, pay attention to the merger of words, the first of which ends with a consonant sound, and the second begins with a vowel sound:

Exercises

A. Fill in the missing words. Check your answers by listening to the audio recording.

1. I ______ got two children.
2. How many children have you ______?
3. My mother ______ got three sisters.
4. I ______ got any brothers.
5. Have you got ______ brothers or sisters?
6. I’ve ______ three children: two girls and a boy.
7. They haven’t ______ any children.
8. He has ______ one son.
9. My father ______ got any sisters.

B. Write the full form instead of the short form. Listen to the answers.

Mark's an accountant.
We're British.
You've got four sisters.
Polly and John aren't in Italy.
She hasn’t got any children.
He's a shop assistant.
How's their brother?
Andrew's not very tall.
What's her name?
I'm intelligent.

C. Change the meaning of ‘s to is, his or her.

Where's Paul's book?
Matthew's a doctor.
Tom's secretary isn't tall.
My sister’s coat’s under the table.
Linda's about forty.
Are John's parents Greek?
Ann's bag's on the table.
Is Kate's boyfriend dark?
Are Mark’s parents divorced?
Julien's tall and fair.

We hope that after this lesson, you will be able to say I've got it!(This stable expression, which means “I got it!”)

In this lesson the topic will be discussed in detail: The turn have (has) got and the verb to have in English language.

Theoretical part.

Let's consider the use of the phrase have (has) got.

In colloquial speech, the phrase have (has) got in the present tense is used to express the meaning of having, possessing. It is translated into Russian as follows: I (he, she, etc.) have.

Example:
I have got an interesting computer game - I have an interesting computer game.
She has got three daughters - She has three daughters.

As a rule, abbreviated forms are used: I’ve got, he’s got, etc.

To form an interrogative sentence, you need to put the verb have/has before the subject.

Example:
Have they got a new book? – Do they have a new book?
Has she got a laptop? – Does she have a laptop?

In order to form negative sentence when using the turn have/has got, you need to use the negative particle not, which is placed after the verb have/has.

Example:
I have not got a new book - I don’t have a new book.
He has not got a handkerchief - He does not have a handkerchief.

As a rule, abbreviated forms are used: I haven’t, we haven’t, he hasn’t etc.

Now consider the verb to have. It expresses meaning have, possess, own.

Example:
We usually have a lot of homework - We usually have a lot of homework.

If you are talking about the constant presence of some state, phenomenon or object, then negative and interrogative sentences with the verb to have must be constructed using the auxiliary verb to do.

Example:
Do they have much time for their hobby? – Do they have a lot of time to pursue their hobbies? (usually, as a rule).
Yes, they have a lot of time for it - Yes, they have enough time for this.
No, they don’t have much time for it - No, they don’t have enough time for this.

But if you are talking about a single case of the presence of something, then negative and interrogative sentences must be built without the auxiliary verb to do. And you should use the turn have/has got and by placing the verb have/has in the appropriate place in the sentence, form a question (you can also simply use the verb to have, and not the turn have/has got).

Example:
Have you got your copy-book with you today? – Do you have your notebook with you today?
I haven’t got my pen with me today = I haven’t got my pen with me today (this option is much less common). – Today I don’t have a pen with me.

There are a number of nouns, in combination with which the verb to have takes on a different meaning, among them dinner, supper, classes, lesson etc.

For example: to have dinner - to have lunch, to have supper - to have dinner, to have classes - to study.

In order to form an interrogative or negative sentence in the present tense using such combinations, it is necessary to use the auxiliary verb to do.

Example:
I don’t have supper every day - I don’t have dinner every day.

The verb to have has a past form - had, which shows the past tense in all combinations and phrases with the verb to have.

Example:
I had classes yesterday - I studied yesterday.

In order to construct a negative or interrogative sentence in the past tense, you must use the auxiliary verb to do also in the past tense - did.

Example:
I didn’t have supper yesterday - I didn’t have dinner yesterday.

This is where the theoretical part ends, as you see many nuances in it, so study it carefully. Let's move on to the practical part, based on the lyrics of your favorite songs.

Practical part

1) Consider the lyrics of the song by the Swedish pop-rock band Roxette - A Thing About You.

…I’ve got a thing about you
And I don’t really know what to do
‘Cause I’ve got a thing about you
Hey you...
Translation:
...I have something that reminds me of you
And I really don't know what to do now
Because I have a thing that reminds me of you
About you…

In the first and third lines you see the use of have got : I’ve got a thing about you - I have a thing that reminds me of you.

2) Let's study the words of the song by the popular American singer Donna Summer - Bad Girls.

…Hey, mister, have you got a dime?
Mister, do you want to spend some time? Oh, yeah
I got what you want, you got what I need
I’ll be your baby, come and spend it on me…
Translation:
...Hey Mister do you have a dime?
Mister, do you want to have a good time? Oh yeah
I have what you want, you have what I need
I'll be your baby, come and fuck me...

In the first line you see the interrogative form of have(has) got : have you got a dime? - Do you have a dime?

3) Let’s look at the lyrics of the song by the American band From Autumn To Ashes - I’m the Best at Ruining My Life.

… I have so many things I would like to explain to you,
But I don’t know just how to communicate.
I can't take this body shaking,
Dress and we’ll begin…
Translation:
…I have so many things (literally things) what I would like to explain to you
But I don't even know how to start talking
I can't see the shaking
Get dressed and we'll start...

IN in this example in the first line you see the use of the verb to have. I have so many things - I have so many things (literally).

4) Consider the words of the song by the American group My Morning Jacket – Librarian (Librarian).

… You and I had dinner,
Spending time when you sleep.
And what can I say to you,
Lying there in bed…
Translation:
...Me and you had lunch
Passing time while you're sleeping
And what can I tell you
Lying there in bed...

This example shows the combination of the verb to have with the word dinner: to have dinner – to have lunch. This example also shows the use of this combination in the past tense form: You and I had dinner – You and I had lunch.

This concludes the practical part, and now you know how to correctly use the verb to have and the phrase have/has got. Listen to your favorite songs and repeat the necessary rules. Combine business with pleasure.

From this lesson you need to remember the following words:

daughter [‘dɔ:tə] - daughter
handkerchief [‘hæŋkətʃi:f] - handkerchief
laptop - laptop
supper [‘sʌpə] - dinner
dinner [‘dinə] - lunch
really [‘riəli] - really, really
dime - 10 cent coin (in America and Canada)
ruin [‘ru:in] - collapse (of hopes, etc.)
autumn [‘ə:təm] - autumn
ash (ashes) [æʃ] - remains
to communicate - talk
to dress - to dress
to shake - shake
librarian - librarian
jacket - jacket

Since, according to school curriculum, we have traditionally studied British English, it still has a dominant meaning. On the other hand, the language of the Internet is more Americanized, so we should pay attention to this.

The verbs to have and have got behave differently in some circumstances, and the first of them is used more often in American English. To avoid any confusion, let's look at the options from a British perspective.

Verb to have

The verb to have means possession of something and is used mainly when it emphasizes the regularity of owning something, using something, or performing some procedure.

She usually has expensive cars. She usually has expensive cars.

I sometimes have coffee in a café. I sometimes drink coffee in a cafe.

I have a holiday in summer. I have a vacation in the summer.

At present there are three forms of the verb to have - having, have and has, and the last of them is used only with the third person singular of nouns.

Having is a present participle or Participle I In addition, the verb to have is irregular and in the simple past tense it has the form had. He also has the same form of the past participle ( Participle II).

We are having dinner now. Now we are having lunch.

Verb have got

There are only two forms of the verb have got - have got and has got, since it is not used in the past tense. Examples:

My nephew has got a turtle. My nephews have a turtle.

John has not got any siblings. John has no sisters or brothers.

Have you got a marker for a whiteboard. Do you have a whiteboard marker?

The verb have got is used in the sense when it speaks of possession of an object or some quality “here and now.” If a brother remains a brother, then you may not have a fountain pen today or tomorrow. Here are examples of questions and short answers:

Have you got a sister-in-law? Yes, I have. Do you have a half-sister? Yes, I have.

Have you got a sheet of paper? No, I haven't. Do you have a piece of paper? No.

You can use these sentences with the verb to have and the auxiliary verb do.

Do you have a sister-in-law? Yes, I do.

Do you have a sheet of paper? No? I don't.

These sentences are translated in exactly the same way.

Also, the verb to have in English can have the role of an auxiliary by analogy with modal verbs. Examples:

She has a cold. She has a cold.

Has she a cold? Does she have a cold?

She hasn't a cold. She doesn't have a cold.

On the other hand, it is precisely in the role of a modal verb that it “causes confusion” in the ranks of English language learners. Example:

Pat has to go back to Moscow. Pat has to return to Moscow.

According to the logic of modal verbs, the following interrogative sentence suggests itself:

Has Pat to go…

but in fact, only the following option is possible here:

Does Pat have to go back to Moscow?

Respectively:

Pat doesn’t have to go back to Moscow.

The correct form of the verb to have depends on the tense in which it is used and the person in the present tense. Here are examples of all forms:

He has a dog. He had a dog. They are having breakfast.

To better remember the use of the verb have got and other forms of this one of the most popular verbs in English, it will be useful to fill out the table:

When working with the table, use all forms of words. remember, that have got is used only in the present tense.

First, take sentences from the text, and then use the power of search engines. Also learn to work with different types dictionaries.