# I have (got) - I had got



## argentina

Can the past of have got be *had* *got* or is it just *had*?
Thank you


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## Bienvenidos

Could you please post the sentence in the present tense? We could then analyze the proper usage of the verb in the past tense.

*Bien*


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## maxiogee

I don't think so. In BE it needs to be *had gotten*, I feel certain.
There was a rumour going around last week, and my neighbour heard it… *John* had gotten *wind of the rumour*.
My favourite football team did well last season… *they *had gotten* to the final of the league, once again*. 
However, as always, AE may differ.


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## argentina

First thanks for your answers but how weird those sentences sound in BE! I just mean this:

I have got a dog
I had got a dog???? or I had a dog.


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## Bienvenidos

argentina said:
			
		

> First thanks for your answers but how weird those sentences sound in BE! I just mean this:
> 
> I have got a dog
> I had got a dog???? or I had a dog.


 
You would say *I had a dog *in American English.

*Bien*


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## nofancypants

Ah, well thats a little different.  Just say "I had a dog".
If you say "I had got a dog" it means that you actually got one last week or something, not that you just had one living with you. If you start using pluperfect tenses not only does it get complicated but sometimes you can lose the meaning.


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## nofancypants

I had a dog is correct in proper English too by the way...


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## river

"The past participle _gotten_ predominates in AmE, _got_ in BrE." (Bryan Garner)


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## nofancypants

The word "Gotten" really isnt proper English. So if youre using it for something rather important i would advise not using it, but if its for something trivial then thats ok. Its more of an American thing i guess us Brits dont use the word! hehe


> *WR Rule #22* - Except as a topic of discussion, chatspeak and SMS style are not acceptable. *Members must do their best to write using standard language forms.* *<<This includes using capital letters where appropriate.>> *


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## yojan

I have got a dog.
I have gotten a dog. (?? sounds a bit wierd)
I had gotten a dog. - pluperfect

Well as far as rules go, that is how I would put it. Nonetheless it does sound very wierd (the ones in the past tenses).


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## maxiogee

You mean I've been speaking American whenever I have moaned "I've gotten sick of the lack of decent TV programmes!"?


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## argentina

Thanks for all your comments but I think you went far beyond of what my simple question was, and here it goes again:

Is this simple past tense correct? I had got a dog

As simple as that, have got (infinitive) - had got (past???) or just had


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## emma42

*I had got a dog *is in the pluperfect tense.  You would use the pluperfect in this case if you really wanted to emphasise that you had got a dog in the past:

*He brought a dog round for me, but I had got a dog already - I had just got the dog that day.*

As opposed to

*He brought a dog round for me, but I had a dog already - there was already a dog in the house.*

Does this help?

Maxiogee is right about the past participle "gotten", but it is not much used in standard BE any more.  I think it might be used more in certain regions of Britain.  And, obviously, Ireland and N America.  Yes, Maxi, you have been speaking American.  What do you think about that, then?


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## argentina

ok, I do know it is past perfect, because it could be a synonym of 
*I had got=I had had*
I am referring just to simple past of have got


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## emma42

*I have got a dog* and I* have a dog *are both fine, as far as I am concerned.  Perhaps there is a little more emphasis on the fact that the person has a dog with the first sentence here, but really there is not a lot of difference and both are standard English.  Does this help?


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## argentina

Sorry Emma but it doesn't help, because my actual doubt was the simple past tense of have got, that's all.


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## panjandrum

maxiogee said:
			
		

> You mean I've been speaking American whenever I have moaned "I've gotten sick of the lack of decent TV programmes!"?


Um.
Yes?
We brits wouldn't say gotten. 

Of course there are a lot more of them (the AE-speakers) in your part of The Island so I'm not really surprised


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## river

The past tense of _have _is _had_: "I had a dog."  "I have a dog" or the colloquial "I've got a dog" is present tense.


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## argentina

Sorry river but I meant the simple past tense of HAVE GOT


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## maxiogee

emma42 said:
			
		

> Yes, Maxi, you have been speaking American.  What do you think about that, then?



Thank goodness for that.
I thought it was just ignorance which has me permanently befuddled when I am writing. I can never be sure if I should write ~ise or ~ize.


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## emma42

Oh, I think I know what you mean now, Argentina!  The simple past of *have got* is *got.*

Yesterday, I *got *a book from the library.


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## moo mouse

I think this is what you are looking for, Argentina;
The past tense of _have got_, in the sense of 'I have got a dog', is simply 'I had a dog'. This is because 'I have got a dog' is really exactly the same as saying 'I have a dog' is colloqial spoken English.


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## river

argentina said:
			
		

> Sorry river but I meant the simple past tense of HAVE GOT


 
_Have _and _have got_ are only used in the present simple. Use _have _for the past simple or future forms.


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## emma42

But that means that you can't say

*I have already got a car*

*I've got my exam results*

*I am getting a new dress*

*I will get it right one day*

*I am going to get drunk tonight*

But you can.  Am I misunderstanding you, River?


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## Between2mindsGeor

Hi argentina
The quickest answer you can get is>
"I've got a dog" to me is the BritE to say "Tengo un perro", AmE "I have a dog" still both mean the same.
The past of I have got a dog is simply "I had a dog"
If the sentence continues, you might explain whether the dog died, left, runaway, and so on and so forth.. jejeje
_Hope my explanation is of some help._


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## emma42

But you can still say *I had got a dog, *particularly with words like *already/even/really*

*I had already got a dog*

*I hadn't even got a dog*

*I had really got a dog.*


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## maxiogee

John had got a bike for Christmas, but I had got a dog!


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## la reine victoria

river said:
			
		

> _Have _and _have got_ are only used in the present simple. Use _have _for the past simple or future forms.


 

Hi River,

I think this is a typo error from this  website -



> 'Have' and 'Have got' are only used in the present simple. Use 'have' for the past simple or future forms.
> *Example: *_She had a copy of that book._


 

LRV


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## Between2mindsGeor

Well, it all depends what Argentina is trying to say.
"I got a dog for Christmas", right, I got it as a present.
But if you mean, when you were a young girl... "you *HAD *a dog"
Emma, I get what you mean, but let's go simply for Argentina, we might be giving her too many options.


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## moo mouse

The inclusion of 'got' in the past tense emphasises the receiving of the object ie. 'I had got a dog' (for christmas) rather than the more general 'I had a dog'. But I don't think this emphasis is needed by Argentina, so although it is not wrong it is not relevent in this case!


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## emma42

I was just replying to Post 23.  Discussions do move on...


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## moo mouse

Point taken Emma. But I don't think River was saying you cannot use the verb 'to get' which is a completely different matter!


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## river

moo mouse said:
			
		

> Point taken Emma. But I don't think River was saying you cannot use the verb 'to get' which is a completely different matter!


 
You got it, Moo. "Have got," the colloquial form of "have" is used only in the present tense. I've got/have a headache. I had a headache. I will have a headache. Then there is the verb _get _http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/cache/20.get.shtml.


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## argentina

At last! moo mouse that was my simple question! just the simple past tense of *have got*. I do know it is simply *had* but my question was if it was possible or correct *had* together with *got.*
Emma42, thanks so much for your answers but the infinitive of got is get, isn't it?
Regards


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## moo mouse

Glad to be of service. I hope all is clear now.


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## emma42

Yes, the infinitive of *got* is *to get*.  I am very confused - I have obviously completely misunderstood your questions.  Sorry about that.


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## maxiogee

moo mouse said:
			
		

> Glad to be of service. I hope all is clear now.



Yes, we hope you have gotten all the advice you need!


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## argentina

Thanks guys for all your comments, but between2minds is right. Gosh! 

Emma I do know everything you say, but again and once more, my simple doubt was if the past of HAVE GOT can be HAD GOT, is it so difficult to understand something so simple?
In post 24 your first sentences is present perfect of the verb get, and that was not what I meant.

I've got a car = I had *GOT* a car (Is it correct/possible?????)


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## emma42

I am glad you got the answer you needed, but there is no need to be rude.


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## moo mouse

*I had a car* is the correct way of saying it, unless you want to qualify the sentence with another statement referring to the 'getting' or receiving. 

For example; 
I had got a car all by myself.
I had got a car that summer. (I didn't already have it before)
I had got a car for my birthday.

Do you understand?


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## Between2mindsGeor

I have got a car = I have a car
I had got a car it is correct making emphasis on the getting, as Moo Mouse says.
I had a car would be the past for I have got a car/ I have a car

_Hope this helps, again_


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## argentina

Emma42, I am awfully sorry! I didn't mean at all to sound, look or be rude to anyone. But I think I got a bit desperate since I asked this question yesterday and nobody seemed to get it right; and I thought it was a simple question. Again, sorry...
And once again thanks for your answers.


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## emma42

Argentina, I'm sorry if I thought you were being rude when you were not!  Maybe I am a little sensitive today!  All the best.


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## scotu

Do you need a dog?
No I *have got* a dog.
Have you had it long?
I *got* it last year.
Did you get it for your birthday?
No, I *had gotten* it before my birthday.
If I knew it was so cute, I would *have had gotten* it earlier.


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