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Verbs of Possession

Have is a very old verb of possession in English. The verb get (simple past got, perfect participle got) means 'gain', that is 'come into possession' or 'start possessing'. Forms like I have got a horse obviously once meant 'I have gained a horse'. But today, the forms I have got and I got are identical in meaning with I have.

Because have is a member of the vector class of verbs, it can form negatives and questions without adding another vector verb. But it can also form questions and negatives with the vector verb do. The formation with do is quite common; the formation without do is still heard but it is rare.


Have without do, uncontracted Have without do, contracted Have with do, uncontracted Have with do, contracted
Positive statement You have a car. You've a car. You have a car. You've a car.
Emphatic positive statement You DO have a car. No contraction You HAVE a car. No contraction
Negative statement You have not a car.1 You haven't a car. You do not have a car. You don't have a car.
Positive question Have you a car? No contraction Do you have a car? D'you have a car?
Negative question Have you not a car?1 Haven't you a car? Do you not have a car? Don't you have a car?
D'you not have a car?
1 This uncontracted form would never be used.

It is very common in colloquial spoken English to use I got or I have got instead of I have. Got to is pronounced gotta.


Have got, uncontracted Have got, contracted Got, uncontracted Got, contracted
Positive statement You have got a car. You've got a car. You got a car. No contraction
Emphatic positive statement You HAVE got a car. No contraction Use form with have
Negative statement You have not got a car. You haven't got a car.2 Use form with have
Positive question Have you got a car? No contraction You got a car? No contraction
Negative question Have you not got a car? Haven't you got a car?2 You not got a car? No contraction
2 This colloquial form of haven't is ain't.

The forms in got are colloquial: this is an example of the loss of auxiliary verbs in colloquial English.

Often people negate the Object with no rather than negating the verb with not, so it is common to hear forms like I've got no money instead of I haven't got any money. Both are correct.

Have, get and got as auxiliary verbs

Have got can be used as an auxiliary verb in most formations where have could be used, except the perfect active.

Perfect active:
Correct form, uncontracted Correct form, contracted Error
I have done it. I've done it. **I have got done it.

Obligation: The verb have to means the same as must, indicating obligation or necessity. Have got to is very frequently used in the same sense, or colloquially got to pronounced gotta:

I must go.
I have to go.
I have got to go.
I gotta go. (Colloquial)

Passives: Get but not have is used as an auxiliary for passives.

Have and get are also used as auxiliaries in causatives.

For other uses of have, such as I had a try, see nominalised verb forms.

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