Be, Have and Have Got
I'm a student, I have two cats, I've got an idea. Learn the rules, then practise.
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The verb "be" (am / is / are)
Use be for identity, jobs, age, feelings, and descriptions.
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| I | am |
| he / she / it | is |
| you / we / they | are |
✅ I am a student.
✅ She is a doctor.
✅ My parents are retired.
"have" and "have got" — possession
For possession, have and have got mean the same thing. Have got is more informal and very common in spoken British English.
✅ I have a car. = I have got a car. = I've got a car.
✅ She has a sister. = She has got a sister.
"have" for activities
For activities and experiences, use only have — never have got.
have breakfast, have a shower, have a meeting, have a rest, have a good time
✅ I have breakfast at eight.
❌ I have got breakfast at eight.
"be" vs "have" — feelings and states
Some states use be + adjective, others use have + noun.
| be + adjective | have + noun |
|---|---|
| be hungry, thirsty, tired | have a headache, a cold |
| be cold, hot, afraid, late | have a problem, an idea |
| be right, wrong, in a hurry | have fun, time, a rest |
✅ I am hungry. (not "I have hungry")
✅ I have a headache. (not "I am a headache")
Watch out: for age, English uses be — I am twenty years old, never "I have twenty years".
have vs have got — questions and negatives
Plain have and have got mean the same, but form questions and negatives differently — and you cannot mix them.
| have got | plain have | |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Have you got a car? | Do you have a car? |
| Negative | I haven't got a car. | I don't have a car. |
Watch out: have got has no past or future form. Use plain have: I had a car (not "had got"), I will have a car (not "will have got").
Subject–verb agreement
- everyone, everybody, nobody → singular: Everyone is here. Nobody was at home.
- the police, the staff, people → plural: The police are here. The staff are friendly.
- the news, information → singular: The news is good.
- trousers, jeans, glasses → plural: My jeans are wet.
- there is / there are matches the noun, and in a list the first item: There is a laptop and two books.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| She have a cat. | She has a cat. |
| He are tired. | He is tired. |
| I have twenty years old. | I am twenty years old. |
| I am a headache. | I have a headache. |
| I have got lunch at one. | I have lunch at one. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'have' and 'have got'?
For possession, 'have' and 'have got' mean exactly the same thing — 'I have a car' = 'I have got a car'. 'Have got' is more informal and very common in spoken British English. The difference is grammatical: 'have got' forms questions and negatives with 'have' itself (Have you got...? / I haven't got...), while plain 'have' uses 'do' (Do you have...? / I don't have...).
When can't you use 'have got'?
You cannot use 'have got' for activities and experiences — only plain 'have' works there. Say 'I have breakfast', 'have a shower', 'have a meeting', 'have a good time' — never 'have got breakfast'. 'Have got' is only for possession, relationships, and characteristics.
Do you say 'I am hungry' or 'I have hungry'?
Say 'I am hungry'. 'Hungry' is an adjective, and adjectives go with the verb 'be': I am tired, she is cold, they are afraid. Use 'have' only with nouns: I have a headache, she has a cold. A common mistake is also age — English uses 'be': 'I am twenty years old', never 'I have twenty years'.
How do you form the verb 'be' in the present?
The present of 'be' has three forms: 'am' with I, 'is' with he/she/it, and 'are' with you/we/they. Negatives are 'am not', 'is not / isn't', 'are not / aren't'. Questions put the verb first: 'Am I...?', 'Is she...?', 'Are they...?'