Have and have got have the same meaning in most cases. Have got is more common in an informal style.

• I have twenty cats. OR I have got twenty cats.
• She has a kid brother. OR She has got a kid brother.

We do not normally use got with had.

• I had a sandwich for breakfast. (NOT I had got a sandwich for breakfast.)

We do not normally use have got to talk about repeated states.

• I often have headaches. (NOT I often have got headaches.)

Fill in the blanks with have or have got.

In most cases, you can use have or have got. There is no difference of meaning. However, in some cases have got is not possible.

1. She ………………………………. a nice apartment in the city. (has / has got)

2. I ………………………. a toothache. (have / have got)

3. She ……………………….. a nice job. (has / has got)

4. …………………………… any questions? (Do you have /Have you got)

5. She ……………………… any free time. (hasn’t got / doesn’t have / hasn’t)

6. We ………………………… a problem. (have / have got)

7. She ……………………….. a lot of friends. (had / had got)

8. …………………………. any problems while you were in Australia? (Did you have / Had you got)

9. I ……………………………. his number, so I couldn’t call him. (didn’t have / hadn’t got)

10. She ………………………….. long hair when she was young. (had / had got)

11. I …………………………. breakfast at 8.30. (have / have got)

12. ………………………….. a look at this report? (Did you have / Had you got)

13. I ……………………….. a word with my boss. (had / had got)

14. Sometimes I ………………………….. bread and eggs for dinner. (have / have got)

15. ………………………… any trouble finding his house? (Did you have / Had you / Had you got)

Answers

1. has / has got

2. have / have got

3. has / has got

4. Do you have / Have you got

5. hasn’t got / doesn’t have

6. have / have got

7. had (Got is not used with had.)

8. Did you have

9. didn’t have

10. had

11. have

12. Did you have

13. had

14. have .

15. Did you have