Possessive - I have, I've got

This lesson explains two common ways to express possession in English: "I have" and the contraction "I've got" (or the full form "I have got"). Both are used to say that something belongs to you, you own something, or you possess a quality. You will learn forms for statements, negatives, questions, and short answers.

• "I have" is neutral and common in both spoken and written English.
• "I've got" is more informal and very common in spoken English, especially in British English.
• Negatives: "I don't have" (AmE/common) and "I haven't got" (BrE/informal).
• Questions: "Do you have...?" or "Have you got...?" — both ask about possession.

Remember these points when expressing possession:

• Use "I have" in formal writing and when you want a neutral tone.
• Use "I've got" in informal speech or casual emails and conversations.
• "Do you have...?" and "Have you got...?" both form questions — the first is universal, the second is more British/informal.
• For negatives, prefer "I don't have" in American English and "I haven't got" in British informal speech; both are understood everywhere.

Think: "I have" = neutral/formal, "I've got" = informal/spoken.

Watch out for these universal errors when using possessive forms with "have":

• Mixing tense: Using "I had" when you mean present possession (use "I have" or "I've got").
• Incorrect question word order: writing statements instead of questions (e.g., "You have the file?" instead of "Do you have the file?" — note: the first is informal but not standard).
• Confusing "have" as an auxiliary vs main verb: in possession, "have" is a main verb (You don't add an extra auxiliary in statements).
• Wrong short answers: answering "Yes, I do" to "Have you got...?" is acceptable but the standard short answer is "Yes, I have."

Focus on tense, word order in questions, and correct short answers.