Have vs. Have Got
- She has got a new boyfriend. (= She has a new boyfriend.)
- My mother has got two sisters. (= My mother has two sisters.)
- They have got a car. (= They have a car.)
Differences
In questions and negatives, we do not normally use have without got.
- Has your sister got a car? (More natural than Has your sister a car.)
- I haven’t got your keys. (More natural than I haven’t your keys.)
Note that it is also possible to use do-forms of have instead of got-forms.
- Does your sister have a car? (= Has your sister got a car?)
- I don’t have your keys. (= I haven’t got your keys.)
Cases where have got is not used
Have got is not used in short answers or tags.
- Have you got a headache? Yes, I have. (NOT Yes, I have got.)
- She has got a new car, hasn’t she? (NOT — hasn’t she got?)
Got-forms of have are less common in the past tense.
- I had flu last week. (NOT I had got flu last week.)
British-American differences
In British English, have without got is possible in short questions and negatives, though these are often formal.
Compare:
- Have you a car? (Formal GB only)
- Have you got a car? OR Do you have a car? (US/GB)
- It’s a nice flat, but it hasn’t a proper bathroom. (Formal GB only)
- It’s a nice flat, but it doesn’t have a proper bathroom. OR It’s a nice flat, but it hasn’t got a proper bathroom. (US/GB)