negative to have

[xs.]

Hi,
what's the best negative form of "TO HAVE":
I don't have any books
I haven't any books.

 

[Nullomore]

when you speak, you always say "i don't have any books." I believe the other sentence, "i haven't any books" is also correct but it's never used in spoken american english.

Also i'm not sure if i'm remembering this correctly, but i've heard people use the construction "I haven't any xxx" in british films? Maybe someone can confirm/deny.

 

[evilcat]

I use both terms in written and spoken English, but I tend to use 'haven't' more often than 'don't have'.

For me, 'don't have' sounds a little rude and abrupt. The most apt example I could think of was 'I haven't time to help you' rather than 'I don't have time to help you'.

This is a personal opinion only, and not meant as a slight against American English!!

 

[xs.]

thank you both

I use both terms in written and spoken English, but I tend to use 'haven't' more often than 'don't have'.

For me, 'don't have' sounds a little rude and abrupt. The most apt example I could think of was 'I haven't time to help you' rather than 'I don't have time to help you'.

This is a personal opinion only, and not meant as a slight against American English!!

 

[timpeac]

To me as a BE speaker "I haven't any books" also sounds stilted. However, we might very well say "I haven't got any books" as a common alternative.

 

[invictaspirit]

"I haven't any..." sounds old-fashioned and odd to this BrE speaker.

"I don't have any..." or "I haven't got any..." is standard.

This may also be regional. I have heard Scots saying "I haven't any..."

 

[panjandrum]

It's regional.
I haven't any coffee.
I don't have any coffee.
I have no coffee.
I haven't got any coffee - would come last for me, unless I was intending to be emphatic.... "But I haven't GOT any coffee!"

 

[clairanne]

I think "I have no books" is an acceptable alternative it is in British english anyway

 

[estudiante2102]

Definitely you can say "I have no books" or "I don't have any books", or even "I do not have any books", which is a more proper sentence but is, obviously, longer and more annoying to say.

~Elizabeth

 

[mgarizona]

Interesting that while no anglophone would be comfortable saying "I haven't a book" the phrase "haven't a care" somehow survives.

 

[maxiogee]

Interesting that while no anglophone would be comfortable saying "I haven't a book" the phrase "haven't a care" somehow survives.

In my schooldays, there would regularly be some pupil who, when asked to read the next paragraph, would say "Sir, I haven't a book. I left my book at home this morning."

Or, to spell it as it was pronounced "Sur, I havven a buke, I leff me buke a hoe-im dis mornen."

I haven't a book/car/coat/whatever is common parlance in Dublin.

 

[clairanne]

Where I come from in Sussex we would say I en got no books - awful grammar though so not to be recommended.

 

[Yogi Bear]

It's regional.
I haven't any coffee.
I don't have any coffee.
I have no coffee.
I haven't got any coffee - would come last for me, unless I was intending to be emphatic.... "But I haven't GOT any coffee!"

Who stole all the coffee?