student asking question

Why does he used "have got" not "have"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. Generally, when being used in the present tense, "have" and "have got" have the same meaning. In this case, however, there is a subtle difference between "I have" and "I've got". "I have" puts the emphasis on the possession of "the app" only. Whereas "I've got" implies that there was some sort of transaction. In the video, the dad is saying he has acquired, whether by paying or just downloading, an app on his phone to track the number of days since they had a date. It's also important to remember that "have got" is more informal than "have". So we are more likely to hear "I've got" in conversation than we are to just "have". Ex: I've got a stomach ache. Ex: I have a stomach ache.

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