Kilo Lingo
English grammar Part of Chapter 2

CEFR A1

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Test yourself (24 questions)

Have got in English: I've got a brother (chart and examples)

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Have got means have. British people use it all the time for things they own, their family, an illness and how people look: I've got a brother. (I have a brother.)

havehasshort formWhat do the colours mean?
WhoHave gotShort form
/ / /
/ /

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick have got or has got.

  1. I a brother.

  2. Ana blue eyes.

  3. Tom a cold.

Have got means have

These two sentences mean the same thing:

  • . (the car is mine)
  • . (the same: the car is mine)

Four common uses:

UseExample
Tom .
.
.
Ana .
.
  • I have a car. .I have a car.
  • She has a dog. .She has a dog.
  • Tom has a phone.Tom .Tom has a phone.

Have got is for now only. For the past, use had: I had a cold last week. (it is over now). Not I had got a cold last week.

Have got is also only for having. It is not for actions like eating or washing: I have breakfast at eight. (I eat it), never I've got breakfast at eight. See the last section.

The short forms: I've got, she's got

In speech, we almost always use short forms. The colour shows have or has inside the short form.

Long formShort form

Be careful with 's. In she's got, the 's is has, not is:

She's got = she has got (not she is got)
  • . (she has a dog)
  • . (correct, but the short form is more common in speech)

Questions and short answers: Have you got...? Yes, I have.

For a question, put have or has first. Got stays after the person.

Have / has
Who
Got
Rest
?
Ben
?
?

Short answers use have or has, with no got:

QuestionYesNo
?, ., .
?, ., .
?, ., .

Like Yes, I am, a yes answer ends with the long form: Yes, I have. (not Yes, I've).

Negatives: I haven't got

Put not after have or has. In speech, use haven't and hasn't.

Long formShort form
  • . (I have no car)
  • Tom . (no brothers at all)
  • . (we must go)

Do not use don't with have got. It is I haven't got, not I don't have got.

Have got or have? British and American

Both are correct, and they mean the same here. The difference is where you are.

British (speech)Everywhere
I've got a sister.I have a sister.
Have you got a pen?Do you have a pen?
I haven't got a car.I don't have a car.

In Britain you hear both: have got is more common in speech, have in careful writing. American English prefers have and do you have, and uses have got mostly in the short form: I've got a question. (I have a question.)

So if you only learn one, have and do you have work everywhere. But you need to understand have got, because you will hear it a lot. Do not mix them: Have you got...? or Do you have...? Never Do you have got...?

Common mistakes

WrongRightWhy
I have got 20 years.I'm 20. .
Do you have got it?Have you got it? .
I don't have got it.I haven't got it. .
She is got a dog.She's got a dog.'s .
I've got a wash.I have a wash. .
Yes, I have got.Yes, I have. .

The shower one is important. Have is also used for actions: have breakfast, have a shower, have a party. Here you cannot use have got: I have a shower every morning. (I wash), never I've got a shower every morning.

What to do next

  1. Say three things you have got: I've got a phone. I've got a brother. I haven't got a car.
  2. Do the drills below. Next: to be, for age and feelings (I'm 20, I'm cold), and the present simple for do you have.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/8

Have got or has got? Sort each word.

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Pick the right one

0/4

Pick have got or has got.

  1. I a brother.

  2. Ana blue eyes.

  3. Tom a cold.

  4. They two children.

Put the words in order

0/3

Make the question. Put the words in order.

  1. You've got a pen. Now ask.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. Ben has got a car. Now ask.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. They've got a dog. Now ask.

    Your sentence is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/5

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Matching

0/4

Match each question to its answer.

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Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. Table 1
  3. Have got means have
  4. The short forms: I've got, she's got
  5. Questions and short answers: Have you got...? Yes, I have.
  6. Negatives: I haven't got
  7. Have got or have? British and American
  8. Common mistakes

Other formats

  1. Listicle

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between have and have got?
For things you own, family, illness and looks, they mean the same: I have a car and I've got a car. Have got is more common in British speech. Have works everywhere, and American English prefers it.
Is she's got she is got?
No. She's got is short for she has got. The 's here is has, not is. She is got is not English.
What is the past of have got?
Use had: I had a cold last week. Had got is not the normal past here. Have got is for now only.
How do I answer Have you got...?
Use have or has, with no got: Yes, I have. No, I haven't. Yes, she has. No, she hasn't. Do not say Yes, I have got or Yes, I've.
Can I say I have got 20 years?
No. Age uses be in English: I'm 20, or I'm 20 years old.