word choice - When to use "have" and "have got"


When do I use have and have got?


Are "I have the answer" and "I've got the answer" both correct?



Answer




I have the answer



sounds more formal and somber, and it is often used as a statement of fact or as a direct response to the questions: Do you have the answer? Who has the answer? etc.



I've got the answer/I have got the answer



is more of an eureka moment remark, something one is likely to hear often in such a place as a college physics common room where students are bashing heads on seemingly intractable problems.


The have got construction is more of a Britishism. In the US, one would be more likely to hear:



I got the answer/Got the answer



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