Have vs have got

[danikka]

Hello, there!
We teach our students the verb HAVE GOT for possessing things, negative being haven't got. I know we can use HAVE (don't have, doesn't have ) for the same meaning. I'm just wondering how importat it is to know both and the difference between them. Is it a British thing? Does it really matter? (I'll insist on both, anyway - I have to ).

Thanks, Bye
Danikka

[RonBee]

I don't think that in AE we use have got for possesssion. I think we mostly stick to have. I think we use have got mostly for emphasis. Example: "I have got to talk to him about that."

:)

[Tdol]

Hello, there!
We teach our students the verb HAVE GOT for possessing things, negative being haven't got. I know we can use HAVE (don't have, doesn't have ) for the same meaning. I'm just wondering how importat it is to know both and the difference between them. Is it a British thing? Does it really matter? (I'll insist on both, anyway - I have to ).

Thanks, Bye
Danikka

It is a BE thing. It's also losing its status in BE.

[RonBee]

We do use haven't got for the negative, although don't have is probably more common.

:)