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pangaea
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
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 Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:34 am Post subject: Grammar question-"It has got" vs. "It has.&qu |
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| I have an elementary writing class that I teach twice a week that uses a book with short letters as examples. Throughout the book is the phrase, "It has got" as in, "My house is big. It has got 3 bedrooms. It has got a big kitchen." The phrase sounds awkward to me but I don't know if that is because it is a phrase not generally used in the US. The book was written in the UK and I am wondering if that particular phrase is used there. Given a choice, I would teach, "It has" and leave out "got." I am teaching the book as it is because I don't want to confuse the students, but I find it increasingly annoying. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:41 am Post subject: |
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You should teach them both forms because they are going to need to know both of them.
However, you say it's a writing class, so let them know that "has got" is not commonly used for essay type writing. |
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pangaea
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| These are elementary school kids using a level 1 textbook. I doubt they even know the word "essay" and trying to explain any deviation from what we are doing now would likely just confuse them, if they even understood what I was trying to explain. We are still working on basic grammar and sentence structure, so I don't want to risk confusing them. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:22 am Post subject: |
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OK, I see. I misunderstood the meaning of "elementary" in your first post.
I thought you were meaning 'elementary' as in "beginner level" for adults.
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pangaea
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:41 am Post subject: |
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No problem.  My students are 11-13 and at a beginner level. It's frustrating that they are learning a sentence structure that I have never used and would never choose to teach. |
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machinoman
Joined: 12 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:51 am Post subject: |
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I would tell them to leave out got, although it might confuse them. The only time I hear "got" these days is as slang for "received"
I got an idea!
He got an F-.
blah blah blah |
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Slowmotion
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Doesn't sound awkward to me and I'm from the states. I think it's more of the way they wrote the sentence rather than "it has got" being awkward.
How about this?
"My house is big. It's got 3 bedrooms and a big kitchen." |
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cyui
Joined: 10 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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It has got =no such phrasel subject indicating possesion of the direct pronoun in present perfect aux. verbs.
for example, "He has to have 2 daughters' It has to be growing"
http://esl.about.com/cs/beginner/a/beg_havegot.htm
They should speaking proper English in the UK man. |
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Slowmotion
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| cyui wrote: |
They should speaking proper English in the UK man. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Slowmotion wrote: |
Doesn't sound awkward to me and I'm from the states. I think it's more of the way they wrote the sentence rather than "it has got" being awkward.
How about this?
"My house is big. It's got 3 bedrooms and a big kitchen." |
Right on.
According to the Oxford Practical English Usage -
237.5 have got
In conversation and informal writing, we often use the double form have got.
I've got a new boyfriend. (More natural in speech than I have a new boyfriend.)
Has your sister got a car? I haven't got your keys.
Note that have got means exactly the same as have in this case - it is a present tense of [/]have[/i], not the present perfect of get.
Plenty more information in there if you really care to know. As it is, it's totally acceptable, and your problem is probably that you're spelling it out. I'm an American and I've heard and used that form plenty of times, but if it isn't contracted it does sound a tad strange. |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:46 pm Post subject: Re: Grammar question-"It has got" vs. "It has |
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| pangaea wrote: |
| I have an elementary writing class that I teach twice a week that uses a book with short letters as examples. Throughout the book is the phrase, "It has got" as in, "My house is big. It has got 3 bedrooms. It has got a big kitchen." The phrase sounds awkward to me but I don't know if that is because it is a phrase not generally used in the US. The book was written in the UK and I am wondering if that particular phrase is used there. Given a choice, I would teach, "It has" and leave out "got." I am teaching the book as it is because I don't want to confuse the students, but I find it increasingly annoying. |
This is a matter of ellipsis.
You mentioned this is for elementary school children, so, in that vein, you can teach reductions(ellipsis) as a way to learn natural speech.
I have got a ball. - I've got a ball. (slang...I got a ball.)
I have got to go.
I've got to go.
I gotta go.
Using the perfect tense is not as common as it once was...and many American and Canadian speakers leave it out entirely...finding it rather awkward...preferring the reduction...and slang.(sometimes not even knowing that the perfect tense is required in some cases for meaning)
However, as context is the major component to reductions...the slang is easily understood.
Compare - I have got a ball. (slang reduction - I got a ball.)
I went and got a ball. (I got a ball.)
Again...these differences are easily discernable in their given context.
There are many challenges to this type of grammar reduction...especially for kids. (When perfect tense reductions match 'be' verb reductions..etc)
Unfortunately, this is far above most elementary learners.
For what it's worth...keep it simple and let them know that it is an informal reduction(ellipsis)...and they tend to understand. |
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davemon
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Has got =/= have got.
OP, your book is promoting poor grammar. The "got" has to be removed. |
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Troglodyte
Joined: 06 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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| davemon wrote: |
Has got =/= have got.
OP, your book is promoting poor grammar. The "got" has to be removed. |
So, you're saying that someone's got to improve the book? |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| Troglodyte wrote: |
| davemon wrote: |
Has got =/= have got.
OP, your book is promoting poor grammar. The "got" has to be removed. |
So, you're saying that someone's got to improve the book? |
...  |
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davemon
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 8:35 am Post subject: |
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| Troglodyte wrote: |
| davemon wrote: |
Has got =/= have got.
OP, your book is promoting poor grammar. The "got" has to be removed. |
So, you're saying that someone's got to improve the book? |
No thanks to putting words in my mouth.
I'd say "someone has to improve the book." Or alternatively "someone needs to improve the book."
Correctly, got is used to show possession of something, not a need or urgency which is what you and the OP's book have suggested. |
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