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English grammar

Have Got: Talking About Possession

Updated 27 Oct 2026 4 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Have got for possession — I've got a dog, she's got two sisters, have you got a pen?
Short answer

Use have got (I, you, we, they) and has got (he, she, it) to talk about what you own, your family and how you feel: 'I've got a car', 'She's got two sisters'. It is informal and especially common in British English.

On this page11 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Positive, negative and question forms
  3. 03How to say it
  4. 04Example sentences
  5. 05Common mistakes
  6. 06A short conversation
  7. 07Usage notes
  8. 08Compared with…
  9. 09Practice
  10. 10Quiz
  11. 11Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A1. Have got is a very common, friendly way to say what you own, who is in your family, and how you feel. It means the same as have, but it builds its questions and negatives differently — and that is where learners slip.

The rule

Possession means having something: an object, a relationship (a brother, a friend), a physical feature (blue eyes), or an illness (a cold). English has two ways to talk about it: the present simple have, and have got. This lesson is about have got.

The form is the helping verb have / has plus the word got. You choose have or has by the subject: I, you, we, they take have got; he, she, it takes has got. The word got never changes.

  • I have got a bike. / They have got a dog.
  • She has got two brothers. / It has got four legs.

The big thing to remember: in questions and negatives, have and has act like helping verbs, so they move or take not themselves. You do not add do or does.

Positive, negative and question forms

Form I / you / we / they he / she / it
Positive I have got (I’ve got) she has got (she’s got)
Negative I have not got (I haven’t got) she has not got (she hasn’t got)
Question Have I got…? Has she got…?
Short answer (yes) Yes, I have. Yes, she has.
Short answer (no) No, I haven’t. No, she hasn’t.

Notice the short answers use only have / has — never got: “Have you got a car?” — “Yes, I have.” (not “Yes, I have got”).

How to say it

  • ’ve and ’s are said quickly and joined to the word before: I’ve got sounds like “ive-got”, she’s got like “sheez-got”.
  • In has got and hasn’t got, the t of got is often very light before another word, but keep it when you write.
  • Have here rhymes with “gave” only in spelling — say it “hav”, with a short a.

Example sentences

  1. I've got a new phone.
    Possession of an object. 've got = have got.
  2. She's got long hair.
    A physical feature. 's got = has got.
  3. They've got three children.
    Family — 'they' takes have got.
  4. He's got a headache.
    An illness or feeling.
  5. We've got a small garden.
    'We' takes have got.
  6. The house has got two bathrooms.
    'The house' = it, so has got.
  7. I haven't got any money.
    Negative: haven't got.
  8. She hasn't got a car.
    Negative for she: hasn't got.
  9. Have you got a pen?
    Question: have comes first, no 'do'.
  10. Has he got your number?
    Question for he: has comes first.
  11. My brother has got a dog.
    Third person singular subject.
  12. You've got a message.
    Informal, everyday use.
  13. Have they got tickets for the show?
    Plural subject question.
  14. I've got a cold, so I'm staying home.
    Illness again, very common with have got.
  15. It's got a scratch on the screen.
    'It' + has got for a thing.
  16. We haven't got time.
    Negative with an uncountable noun.
  17. Has your sister got a bike?
    Question about a third person.
  18. They've got a lovely old cat.
    A pet — relationship with an animal.
  19. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
    Asking about family.
  20. No, I haven't. I'm an only child.
    Short answer uses only 'haven't'.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ Do you have got a car? → ✅ Have you got a car? Have got never uses do / does; have moves to the front itself.
  • ❌ She have got a sister. → ✅ She has got a sister. He / she / it take has got, not have got.
  • ❌ I don’t have got time. → ✅ I haven’t got time. The negative is haven’t / hasn’t got.
  • ❌ Yes, I have got. → ✅ Yes, I have. Short answers drop got.
  • ❌ He has gots a dog. → ✅ He has got a dog. Got never adds -s and never changes.
  • ❌ I had got a bike when I was young. → ✅ I had a bike when I was young. For the past, use plain had — have got is present only.

A short conversation

A: Have you got a charger I can borrow? B: Sorry, I haven’t. But Mia’s got one — she’s got the same phone as you. A: Great. Has she got it with her today? B: I think so. Ask her.

Usage notes

  • Same meaning as have. “I’ve got a car” and “I have a car” mean exactly the same thing. Have got just feels more conversational.
  • Contractions are standard. In speech and informal writing you almost always say I’ve got, she’s got, they’ve got. The full forms (I have got) sound heavy and formal.
  • Present only. For the past and future, drop got and use the normal verb: I had a dog (past), I will have a dog (future). You cannot say “I will have got” for simple possession.
  • Watch ’s. In she’s got, the ’s is has, not is — “She’s got a dog” means she has got, not she is.

Compared with…

  • Present simple have covers the same meaning but takes do / does in questions and negatives: “Do you have a car?”, “She doesn’t have a car.” With have got you instead move have: “Have you got a car?”, “She hasn’t got a car.” Have is also the only choice for the past (had) and for habits (I have lunch at one), where have got does not fit. See Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending. The helping verb behind have got is the ordinary verb to be’s cousin — to review subject + verb agreement, revisit Verb ‘To Be’ in the Present.

Recap card for the English have-got lesson showing positive, negative and question forms

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Have got practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct form: 'She ___ two cats.'
Show answer

has got — 'She' is third person singular, so use has got.

Hint: Put the helping verb first — no 'do'.

Show answer

Have — Have got questions start with have/has, never with do.

3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.

Show answer

He's got a headache — 's got = has got; use it for an illness or feeling.

4 Match each subject to its have-got form.

  • I
  • he
  • they
  • it
Show answer
  • I → have got
  • he → has got
  • they → have got
  • it → has got

Only he, she and it take has got; everyone else takes have got.

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

Have you got time? — Have got questions move 'have' to the front and use no 'do'.

Hint: have + not

Show answer

haven't — The negative of have got is haven't got / hasn't got.

Quiz

Check yourself

Have got quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Complete: 'I ___ a new bike.'
    Show answer

    have got — 'I' takes have got.

  2. 2Complete: 'He ___ blue eyes.'
    Show answer

    has got — He/she/it take has got.

  3. 3Make this a question: 'You have got a car.'
    Show answer

    Have you got a car? — Move 'have' to the front; never add 'do'.

  4. 4Choose the correct negative.
    Show answer

    She hasn't got a dog. — She takes hasn't got.

  5. 5Answer the question: 'Have you got a minute?'
    Show answer

    Yes, I have. — Short answers use only have/has, with no 'got' and no 'do'.

  6. 6Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    Do you have got time? — You can't mix 'do' with 'have got'.

  7. 7What does 's mean in 'She's got a cold'?
    Show answer

    she has — In 'she's got', the 's is has, not is.

  8. 8Choose the correct past sentence.
    Show answer

    I had a bike as a child. — Have got is present only; for the past use plain 'had'.

  9. 9Complete: '___ they got tickets?'
    Show answer

    Have — 'They' takes have, so the question starts with Have.

  10. Show answer

    hasn't — He takes hasn't got.

  11. 11Which means the same as 'I have a sister'?
    Show answer

    I've got a sister. — Have got = have; the contraction is I've got.

  12. 12Complete: 'The flat ___ a balcony.'
    Show answer

    has got — 'The flat' = it, so has got.

Recap cheat-sheet

Subject Positive Negative Question
I / you / we / they ’ve got haven’t got Have … got?
he / she / it ’s got hasn’t got Has … got?
short answer Yes, I have. No, I haven’t. (no “got”)

Next

Your English course

All English grammar topics

Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.

Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession You are here
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)