“Have” and “have got” are both used to show possession. For example: “I have a pen”, and “I have got a pen” have the same meaning. Here are the main points when choosing which one to use.

Have

The Simple Present forms of have are as follows.

You make questions with have as normal by using the auxiliary verb “to do”. For example:
- Statement: You have a pen.
- Question: Do you have a pen?
- Have you a pen? This is generally incorrect, although occasionally found in British English.

The verb have is often contracted in English, but when have is used for possession you cannot use a contraction, you should use have got instead (see below). For example:
- I’ve a pen, He’s a pen. These are incorrect.

Do not and does not can of course still be contracted to don’t and doesn’t. For example:
- He doesn’t have a pen = He does not have a pen.

The Simple Present forms of have got are as follows.

Have got

Affirmative statements can contract have got, for example:
- I have got some food = I’ve got some food.
- He has got some food = He’s got some food.

Negatives contract as follows:
- I haven’t got any food = I have not got any food.
- She hasn’t got any food = She has not got any food.

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Have got is a slightly unusual form because it is a perfect tense form, something which we haven’t learnt yet and which will be covered later. Also, remember that the verb have is used in many ways, but the above is only for its use for possession. The lists above may seem rather laborious, but you will quickly learn to use these verbs when you apply them to some real English usage.

So, on to the exercises!