Difference Between Got and Have

Got vs Have

When we talk about the differences between “got” and “have,” it actually means the differences between “have” and “have got” or “got” and “have got.” Both of these are used to refer to possession when it is used in reference to possessing something. Otherwise, “got” individually is the past tense of “get” and has several uses which are not exactly what we need to discuss in this article.

“Have” is used for the present tense. For example, We have a beautiful house. This sentence can also be written as: We have got a beautiful house. Both sentences mean the same thing, and they are used for the same tense, that is, the present tense.
No matter how similar they are or how they are used differently for sentences which mean the same thing, they do have some differences in usage.

In the present tense, “have,” “have got” are used for the same thing, but in the past tense they cannot be used similarly. For example, in the present tense we can write: They have a nice dog, or They have got a nice dog. But in past tense, “got” cannot be used with “had.” For example, They had a nice dog. This sentence cannot be written as: They had got a nice dog. It is incorrect usage. The correct usage will be: They had gotten a nice dog.

Though “have” and “got” both refer to possession, the possession could beexpressed in different forms. “Have” shows ownership of something. When one owns something, they usually use the word “have.” For example, I have a motorbike. When you write, I have gotten a motorbike on my birthday; it might refer to you receiving the motorbike as a gift from someone.

While using these words in negative and interrogative sentences, some usages are more common than the others. For example, Have you got any money? No, I haven’t got any money. These are interrogative and negative sentences where “have” and “got” are used together, but the following sentences are also correct though they might not be too commonly used. Example, Have you any money? No I haven’t any.

“Have” is used to refer to experiences and actions. “Have got” or “got” cannot be used to represent any action. For example, I have my dinner at 7:00 p.m. Here “have got” or “got” cannot be used in any way possible.
In the positive form, “have” does not have any contracted form. Only “have got” is used in the contracted form. For example, I have a blue car or I’ve got a blue car. We cannot write I’ve a blue car.

Summary:

1.In the past and present tense, “have” and “got” are used differently.
2.“Have” refers to owning something and “got” refers to receiving something.
3.“Have” is used to refer to actions; “got” is not used to refer to actions or experiences.
4.The contracted form is used only for “have got” in the positive form not for “have” alone.

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