Have got: saying what someone has — Foreign languages, 7–10 years

Have got is a useful way to talk about belongings, family members or features. The form changes in one important place: I have got, but he or she has got.

Having something

English uses have got to say that a person has something. I have got a sister means that I have a sister. With one person such as he, she or it, have changes to has: She has got a red hat.

Why use have got?

People need a quick way to describe what is in their life: a pet, a brother, a ticket or two blue eyes. Have got does this in a short pattern. Learning the pattern also helps listeners notice who has the thing.

From three facts to one sentence

The facts are: Ava is one person, Ava has a dog, and the dog is small. Replace Ava with she. Because it is one person, choose has got. Put the thing after it: She has got a small dog. The sentence now carries the owner, the action and the detail.

Has got for one person

Many learners say He have got because the person has something, so have feels logical. English marks one person with has here: He has got a kite. For I, you, we and they, keep have: They have got a kite. The owner decides the form.

Describing what you bring

Before a trip or a game, have got helps people compare what they have. You can say I have got a water bottle and Noor has got a map. This is useful when checking equipment, sharing jobs or making sure nobody forgot something.

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