Learn ‘Have Got’ in English: Possession and Description (A1 Grammar)

Raúl Maguiña

Fondatore di Langcom | Esaminatore per Cambridge e SIELE

Luglio 26, 2026

A1✏️ Grammar⏱️ 5 min read
Have got is a very common way to talk about possession, family, and characteristics in English. It means ‘to possess’ or ‘to own’. You use it to say what you have, what someone else has, or to describe people and things. For example, I’ve got a new phone. oppure She’s got long hair. This phrase is especially frequent in British English and is often used in everyday conversations. It helps you express simple facts about what belongs to someone, what features they have, or if they are feeling unwell. Understanding have got is key for A1 learners to describe their world and communicate basic information clearly. It is also used to talk about illnesses, like I’ve got a headache.

What Does Have Got Mean?

Have got is a phrase we use to talk about:

  • Possession: Things you own. For example, I’ve got a car.
  • Family: Your relatives. For example, She’s got two brothers.
  • Descriptions: How people or things look. For example, He’s got blue eyes.
  • Illnesses: When you feel sick. For example, I’ve got a cold.

It has a similar meaning to the verb have when talking about these topics. However, have got is often more informal and common in spoken English, especially in British English.

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How Do We Form Sentences with Have Got?

The structure for have got is simple. We use have oppure has, plus got.

Positive Sentences

We use have got for I, you, we, they. We use has got for he, she, it.

  • I have got (or I’ve got)
  • You have got (or You’ve got)
  • He has got (or He’s got)
  • She has got (or She’s got)
  • It has got (or It’s got)
  • We have got (or We’ve got)
  • They have got (or They’ve got)

Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence, we add not between have/has e got.

  • I have not got (or I haven’t got)
  • You have not got (or You haven’t got)
  • He has not got (or He hasn’t got)
  • She has not got (or She hasn’t got)
  • It has not got (or It hasn’t got)
  • We have not got (or We haven’t got)
  • They have not got (or They haven’t got)

Questions

To ask a question, we put Have oppure Has at the beginning of the sentence.

  • Have I got…?
  • Have you got…?
  • Has he got…?
  • Has she got…?
  • Has it got…?
  • Have we got…?
  • Have they got…?

Short Answers

For short answers, we use Yes, I have. oppure No, I haven’t.

  • Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
  • Yes, you have. / No, you haven’t.
  • Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
  • Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.
  • Yes, it has. / No, it hasn’t.
  • Yes, we have. / No, we haven’t.
  • Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.
Summary of <span data-no-translation>Have Got</span> Forms
Subject Positive Negative Question
I / You / We / They have got (‘ve got) haven’t got Have … got?
He / She / It has got (‘s got) hasn’t got Has … got?

Esempi

  • I’ve got a new bicycle.
  • She’s got a big family.
  • He hasn’t got a lot of money.
  • Have you got any pets?
  • Yes, I have. I’ve got a cat.
  • My sister has got long, brown hair.
  • We’ve got a lot of homework tonight.
  • Has your brother got a new phone?
  • No, he hasn’t.
  • I’ve got a terrible headache.

Esercitazione

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Errori comuni per chi parla spagnolo

Spanish speakers sometimes make a few common mistakes with have got:

  • Using do/does with have got: Remember, have got does not use do oppure does for questions or negatives.
    • Errato: Do you have got a car?
    • Corretto: Have you got a car?
    • Errato: She doesn’t have got a brother.
    • Corretto: She hasn’t got a brother.
  • Incorrect subject-verb agreement: Always remember to use has got for he/she/it.
    • Errato: He have got a dog.
    • Corretto: He has got a dog.
  • Confuso have got with have for actions: Have got is only for possession, characteristics, or illnesses. It is not used for actions like have breakfast oppure have a shower.
    • Errato: I’ve got breakfast at 8 AM.
    • Corretto: I have breakfast at 8 AM.

Domande frequenti

What is the main difference between have e have got?

For possession, family, and descriptions, have e have got mean the same thing. Have got is more common in informal British English. Have is more common in American English and can also be used for actions (like have lunch), which have got cannot.

Is have got more common in British or American English?

Have got is much more common in British English. In American English, people usually just use have for possession (e.g., I have a car instead of I’ve got a car).

Can I use have got for actions?

No, you cannot use have got for actions. It is only used for possession, characteristics, relationships, and illnesses. For actions like have a shower oppure have dinner, you must use only have.

How might have got be tested in the A2 Key for Schools exam?

In the A2 Key for Schools exam, you might see have got in tasks where you need to choose the correct word or form to complete a sentence, or in a gap-fill exercise. For example, you might need to choose between have got e has got based on the subject.

Lezioni correlate

Informazioni sull'autore: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña è il direttore dell’Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizzato di preparazione all’esame Cambridge English con sede a STATI UNITI D'AMERICA. Con oltre un decennio di esperienza nel campo dell'insegnamento delle lingue e delle certificazioni internazionali, ha aiutato migliaia di studenti, insegnanti e istituti scolastici in 25 paesi a ottenere le certificazioni di inglese Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL e Michigan.

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