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Andrea
What's the difference between "I have(Do you have).." and "I have got(Have you got).."?
I have a pen. / I have got a pen.
Do you have a pen? / Have you got a pen?
Any difference? (formal/informal, US/UK, etc..)
And are "Marry has got a boyfriend." and "Has Marry got a boyfriend?" correct?
Thanks!
Jan 18, 2012 5:25 AM
Answers · 2
I have a pen. / I have got a pen.
Formal U.S. English: What do you have? I have a pen.
Informal U.S. English: I've GOT a pen right here for you. ("Got" is used for emphasis, since it's unnecessary in U.S. English.)
One of the ways I can tell if a student has been studying British English is when he/she asks me, "HAVE you GOT a pen?" It sounds strange to me, since I know he/she is generally not familiar with casual English. I understand the question, but that's not how an American would formally ask it. Informally, maybe.
January 18, 2012
"Mary has got a boyfriend" and "Has Mary got a boyfriend?" are not correct but are commonly said colloquially. Many Americans would correct each other about such a grammar mistake though.
When still learning English, always say "Mary has a boyfriend" and "Does Mary have a boyfriend?"
January 18, 2012
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Andrea
Language Skills
Arabic (Modern Standard), Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Shanghainese), English, French, Japanese, Portuguese
Learning Language
English, French, Japanese
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