There is an unusual situation in English where the terms \u2018have\u2019 and \u2018have got\u2019 seem to have the same meaning in two contexts, as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Context 1)<\/strong> I have a sister \/ I have got a sister = possession<\/p>
Context 2)<\/strong> I have to do an exam tomorrow \/ I have got to do an exam tomorrow = obligation<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the two sentences in each context are interchangeable. So, despite \u2018have\u2019 being the verb (present simple tense) in context one (I have a sister \/ I have got a sister) while it is the auxiliary (present perfect tense) in the second two (I have got a sister \/ I have got to do an exam), the meaning is the same each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This can be difficult for learners of English to accept. Often, then, the question is \u2018But when do you use \u2018have\u2019 and when do you use\u2019 have got\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer to that question can be equally as frustrating. \u2018Whenever you want\u2019. Indeed, there is no reason why a native speaker would say one rather than the other, other than perhaps personal or regional habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is the same in questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Do you have a sister?\u2019<\/p>
\u2018Have you got a sister?\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
These questions ask for exactly the same information, but it can difficult to accept that there are two such different grammatical structures to elicit the same information. But, once again, the two questions do indeed have the same meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n
When \u2018have\u2019 and \u2018have got\u2019 are not the same<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Of course, in cases of language, there usually are some exceptions. But in English, the difference between \u2018have\u2019 and \u2018have got\u2019 really comes down to what is and isn\u2019t possible with both grammatical structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Have\u2019, as a simple verb (without an auxiliary), can be used in any grammatical tense, other than in continuous form (because it is a stative verb, not an action). Therefore:<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I have a dog.\u2019 (now)<\/p>
\u2018I had a dog.\u2019 (in the past)<\/p>
\u2018I will have a dog.\u2019 \/ \u2018I\u2019m going to have a dog.\u2019 (in the future)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
It is the same with obligation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I have to do some work.\u2019 (now)<\/p>
\u2018I had to do some work.\u2019 (past)<\/p>
\u2018I will have to do some work.\u2019 \/ I\u2019m going to have to do some work.\u2019 (in the future)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Because \u2018have got\u2019 is technically a present perfect structure (\u2018have\u2019 is the auxiliary\u2019, \u2018got\u2019 is the verb), it cannot be adapted into any other verb tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I have got a dog.\u2019 (now)<\/p>
\u2018I had got a dog.\u2019<\/s> (past)<\/p>
\u2018I will have got a dog.\u2019 \/ \u2018I\u2019m going to have got a dog.\u2019<\/s> (in the future) \u2013 possible, but changes meaning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s the same with obligation:<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I have got to do some work.\u2019 (now)<\/p>
\u2018I had got to do some work.\u2019<\/s> (past)<\/p>
\u2018I will have got to do some work.\u2019 \/ \u2018I\u2019m going to have got to do some work.\u2019<\/s> (in the future)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u2018have\u2019 as another verb<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Have\u2019 is a verb with multiple meaning in English. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I have lunch at 2pm.\u2019 (eat)<\/p>
\u2018I\u2019m having a coffee.\u2019 (drinking)<\/p>
\u2018I\u2019m going to have a shower.\u2019 (take)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Have got\u2019 does not have the same meaning as \u2018have\u2019 in any of these other uses, so cannot be interchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To reiterate, \u2018have\u2019 and \u2018have got\u2019 only have the same meaning when we talk about possession and obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the two forms can be only used interchangeably in the present simple tense. If any variation of tense is required (for past or future), then \u2018have got\u2019 cannot be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is an unusual situation in English where the terms \u2018have\u2019 and \u2018have got\u2019 seem to have the same meaning in two contexts, as follows: Context 1) I have a sister \/ I have got a sister = possession Context 2) I have to do an exam tomorrow \/ I have got to do an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[15,624,625],"class_list":["post-1765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammar","tag-grammar","tag-have","tag-have-got"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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