3

I am really confused now, so I've found out that:

Facts :

  1. HAVE GOT is only used in the present and past form.

  2. the plain "have" is used in all tenses.

  3. HAVE GOT cannot be combined with the modal verbs such as :must, may, might, can, etc. and can't be combined with to+infinitive.

  4. Only the plain "have" can be combined with the modal verbs & it can be combined with to+infinitive.

  5. HAVE GOT and the plain "have" are used in BrE. (Do BrE natives use both ? Could you explain the differences between them?)

  6. The pattern

A. HAVE GOT : I have got.. & I haven't got..& have I got (in the negative, haven't I got ___ ?)

B. HAVE : I do have.. / I have.. & I don't have.. & do I have? (negative, don't I have?)

C. past : I had got /(I did have) I had & I hadn't got /I didn't have & had I got (hadn't I got?), did I have? ( didn't I have?)

Are these facts correct?
I await your explanations, thanks.

Improve this question
1
  • Doesn't C imply A, since in English the future is formed with modal verbs?
    – Peter Shor
    Commented Apr 20, 2017 at 12:33

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
0

Well, I'll pretend I'm a factbuster and here is:

  1. HAVE GOT is only used in the present and past form. - (WRONG)

'Have' and 'Have got' are only used in the present simple. Use 'have' for the past simple or future forms.

  1. The plain "have" is used in all tenses. (CORRECT)

'Have' can be conjugated in all tenses.

  1. HAVE GOT cannot be combined with the modal verbs such as :must, may, might, can, etc. and can't be combined with to+infinitive. (PARTIALLY CORRECT)

'Have got' can be used with a to+infinitive, 'may', 'might', 'must' but not with 'can', however, a few examples can be met on the web.

  • She might have got wrong what you said. (pointing to a past event where there is uncertainty)
  • If it weren't for him, she may have got robbed. (pointing to a past event where there is uncertainty)
  • The video must have got deleted. (pointing to a past event that supposingly happened)
  • I have got to go to work. (it is very important that I go to work; I cannot but go; I must go)
  1. Only the plain "have" can be combined with the modal verbs & it can be combined with to+infinitive. (PARTIALLY CORRECT)

See p.3 for answer.

  1. HAVE GOT and the plain "have" are used in BrE. (Do BrE natives use both? Could you explain the differences between them?) (CORRECT)

Both 'have' and'have got' are used in both Br.E. and Am.E., 'have got' is preferred in Br.E and 'have' is preferred in Am.E. There is no difference when they are used for possession.

  1. The pattern

A. HAVE GOT : I have got.. & I haven't got..& have I got (in the negative, haven't I got ___ ?)

B. HAVE : I do have.. / I have.. & I don't have.. & do I have? (negative, don't I have?)

C. past : I had got /(I did have) I had & I hadn't got /I didn't have & had I got (hadn't I got?), did I have? ( didn't I have?) (PARTIALLY CORRECT)

The "do" with have, as in "I do have" is a simple intensifier, the common way is "I have", so is "I had" and not "I did have". Possible informal ways to ask a question with "have" in the present and past are "Have I" and "Had I", however it's correct to use the auxiliary verb "do", as in "Do I have" and "Did I have". "Have got" cannot be used in the past as a possession.

  • I had got a car yesterday. (Wrong)

Some say that, "I had got/I hadn't got/Had I got" can be used in spoken British English, no proof to that.

Improve this answer
2
  • No, have got is not restricted to the present. It is significantly more common in the present than past, but the past also occasionally occurs (CGEL p.112). It is worth noting, though, how relatively infrequent it is.
    – user230
    Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 9:48
  • @snailplane I would be glad if you could edit my answer to include that information.
    – SovereignSun
    Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 9:52

You must log in to answer this question.