"I've got" is an alternative to "I have" in the following situation only: If.... 1..... you are talking about something which either 'belongs' to you or something which you need to do 2.....in the present simple tense 3.....in informal contexts. For example, there is no difference at all in meaning between "I've got a problem" and "I have a problem" or between "I've got to go home" and "I have to go home". In these situations, the two forms are interchangeable. In all other situations: - when 'have' is an action ( like " I have a shower every morning ") - in any tenses other than present simple - in formal contexts such as business letters and academic essays you can't use the 'got' form. By the way, don't confuse this with other meanings of 'I've got ' (GB) / 'I've gotten (US), where this means 'I've received' 'I've obtained' 'I've become' or 'I've reached', e.g. " I've got on the bus". This construction, together with the entire issue surrounding 'got/gotten' has nothing at all to do with your question. That's another issue entirely.

Most of the time they mean exactly the same thing. Simply two different ways of saying the same thing! I have a book I've got a book I have a pencil I've got a pencil To me, all of these mean exactly the same thing. As for "gotten", people in the UK don't say it - it's an "Americanism". My old English teacher used to berate anybody who every used "gotten" because it was, in her opinion, "bad English". Laurence

Normally "Have" and “Have got" both are used to mean same thing. I have brown hair. I have got brown hair. Have: To make question need an axillary verb (do/does) Do you have a cat? Does he has a sister? Have got: To make question just use have/has no other axillary verb (do/does) Have you got a cat? Has he got a sister? For negative with have form: You don’t have a cat He doesn't has a cat For negative with have got form: You haven't got a cat He hasn't got a cat. ---------------------------------------------- To have: Expresses possession (ownership) in American and British English To have got: Expresses possession (ownership) in British English *People may drop have before got. I('ve) got a problem. Have can be used as an auxiliary Ex: I have watched a film. Have got can't be used as auxiliary Ex: I got the film

I agree with Laurence. Just one thing, don't forget about grammar) With "to have" you should say "don't have" "do you have?" whereas with "have got" you say "haven't got" "have you got?"

Examples: I have that toy. The only way I right now that I can think of the "have got" is : I have gotten that answer before. I have gotten that response from my mom before.