what is the difference (again): do you have a book? have you a book? have you got a book?

Subject created by verochka on May 27, 2005 @ 22:24

And I love writing to intelligent young woman who love language. I might add, too, that I wish I were as proficient in Italian as you are in English. :) Emily

Comment written by mle on May 31, 2005 @ 02:31

Look what we have put you through... I guess teachers can be exhausting students hehe. Love reading you Emily!

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 31, 2005 @ 00:01

Hi Verochka, I teach English to American high schools students, all of whom are native speakers (as I am), so that type of question would be unlikely to come up. American students are convinced they know their language; unfortunately, that's not always the case. :( My courses, therefore, are primarily literature based. However, if I were trying to explain to foreign students the way we indicate possession in English, I would try to avoid too many options. I'd probably present it in this way: There are two grammatically correct ways of indicating possession in English. They are: "You have a pen./Do you have a pen?". OR "You have got (you've got) a pen./Have you got a pen?". I would ignore the other option entirely, but if it came up as a question, I'd simply say that although "Have you a pen" is not strictly grammatical, it is acceptable in terms of usage. Damn, that wasn't all that simple after all. I hope, though, it helps a bit. Emily

Comment written by mle on May 30, 2005 @ 21:28

hi, mle! thanks for the answers. i usually explain to my students the rules the same way you did (about the exceptions)but should i mark this form 'have you a book' as a mistake or not? what would you suggest as a professional?[br][edited by verochka on 2005-05-30 21:00:06]

Comment written by verochka on May 30, 2005 @ 20:58

right about bear, thank you for correcting that. And no, there is no confusion now, this is an exception, ok... I didn't know about it, and now I do thanks to you and to the author of this subject. So thanks to you both. One never stops learning ey?!

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 30, 2005 @ 16:51

Hi Irina, The examples you give don't work at all, and offhand I can't think of another verb that allows you to do this. Try thinking of this as an exception because it is. It's VERY infrequently used (particularly in the U.S.), so you can simplify things considerably by ignoring it altogether. I apologize for "opening up a "can of worms" by including this as an acceptable phrase, and I hope I haven't created too much confusion. If you'll permit me one correction, though--in your last sentence, "bare" should be spelled "bear." Lovely talking to you, Emily[br][edited by mle on 2005-05-30 14:33:06]

Comment written by mle on May 30, 2005 @ 14:26

Hehe, great answer Emily... Only you know, when you encounter something that contradicts the rules you have accepted for years and helped you learn a great deal... it intrigues you right and you want to understand the right thing. One more question, does this happen only with the verb to have? Or does the same happen to any other verb? Like Read you books from this library? or Want you some more cake? It really sounds weird, and I will accept this new rule, just bare with me, I need to understand it very well. Ok?

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 30, 2005 @ 09:16

Hi Verochka, Hi Irina, It's not as complicated as you're making it. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, this usage is not a common one; however, it is used and is acceptable, primarily in Britain. So why then doesn't it seem to make sense? Often things don't make sense in language. For example, in another place on this forum, a poster was insistent that one would say of a product that it was "hand-made in home." This is incorrect. It must be "hand-made in THE home." But if that's the case, why then would we say: hand-made "in school," "in THE office," "in-house," "in THE community center"? You've got to accept that sometimes rules will not provide an answer; at that point, the response is: "That's just the way it's said." I appreciate the difficulty you're both having because I have similar difficulties with Italian, my own learning language. Because you are both teaching English, however, you're more eager than most to find the rule that proves your point. Try doing what I do. When I find myself unable to come up with a sound, logical reason, I simply say, "Because I say so. . ." :) Emily

Comment written by mle on May 30, 2005 @ 02:54

the question may sound simple, but it is not. being myself an enlish teacher i usually correct people who say 'have you a book?'. but in many grammar books, which are rather old, you can find this form. i also heard it in The Beatles’ song named It’s Only Love. "…Haven’t I the right to make it up, girl?" and saw it in Bernard Show's Pygmalion, when Higgins says: "everyone have feelings, have you, Eliza?" (or something like that)

Comment written by verochka on May 29, 2005 @ 23:13

Thanx Emily... Yet I tell you, here, in Romania, Have you a book? is taught as incorrect.

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 29, 2005 @ 22:55

Hi Irina, It does sound weird--to me too. It's generally not used, and many consider it to be incorrect or at least "iffy". It's acceptable solely in terms of usage. You're most likely to hear it in Britain. Emily[br][edited by mle on 2005-05-29 22:03:06]

Comment written by mle on May 29, 2005 @ 22:00

it makes me wonder Emily, because if Have you a book? is correct than Want you a book? should be correct too, right? Yet it sounds so weird... Could you explain that to me, please?

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 29, 2005 @ 19:49

There are often several ways to say the same thing in any language. It may simply be a matter of style or personal preference; but sometimes a slight change in wording conveys a subtle difference in meaning. It may well be that your teachers do not use the phrases "Have you a book I can read?" or "Do you have a book I can read?" It does not, however, necessarily follow that these constructions are incorrect. They are grammatically sound and are often used by native English speakers. Emily [br][edited by mle on 2005-05-29 16:58:19]

Comment written by mle on May 29, 2005 @ 16:56

Well,I'm studying ELT at university and my teachers are British. I always hear "have u got a book?" or things like that from them. I've never heard them say "do u have..." or "have u.."

Comment written by inci_nazli on May 29, 2005 @ 14:12

It may be used in this context: "Have you a book I can read?" but I agree that "Do you have a book I can read?" is the more common construction. Emily[br][edited by mle on 2005-05-28 12:38:05]

Comment written by mle on May 28, 2005 @ 12:37

You asked: what is the difference (again): do you have a book? have you a book? have you got a book? I would agree with sock that the third option would sound uneducated in America (an probably everywhere they speak English) I have never heard the second option in talking to native speakers of English, but I have hear "You have a book?" This is used only in speech, it would never be written except as dialog. You would normally be pronounced "ya" in this instance. The first example is by far the best option. This is also the one I would be most likely to use and the one I hear the most. [br][edited by nelsmp on 2005-05-28 05:12:13][br][edited by nelsmp on 2005-05-28 05:12:52]

Comment written by nelsmp on May 28, 2005 @ 05:10

Have you got a book? and Do you have a book? are both correct and they both mean the same thing. Although I have heard the first one more. Have you a book? is not correct, "have" is used here as a normal verb and therefore it needs the auxiliary DO to ask the question.

Comment written by I-R-I-N-A on May 28, 2005 @ 01:05

There really isn't any difference. In american-english, we usually say "Do you have a book?" The phrase "Have you a book?" would probably be more common in England than in the US. "Do you got a book?" isn't a good option--it would make one sound uneducated in either the US or England. Hope this helps!

Comment written by Sock on May 27, 2005 @ 23:36

what is the difference (again): do you have a book? have you a book? have you got a book?

Comment written by verochka on May 27, 2005 @ 22:24