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Curious Cat Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

DID YOU, HAVE YOU or HAVE YOU HAD?

Hi all,

which is more acceptable to say:

a) Did you eat lunch yet?
b) Have you eaten your lunch yet?
c) Have you had your lunch yet?

The situation behind this dialogue is: it's an hour past noon, and a colleague wanted to know if I had already eaten.

I sometimes interchange them. I feel that B or C sounds better but I don't really know why.
  

Top answer

You may get different answers from different people. In everyday conversion, I'd be most likely to say (c) (by quite a long way), followed by (b). I don't think I ever use (a).

— Mr Wordy

  • You may get different answers from different people.
  • In everyday conversion, I'd be most likely to say (c) (by quite a long way), followed by (b).
  • I don't think I ever use (a).
  • To me, (a) feels more like AmE (though no doubt some BrE speakers use it too).
  • In formal English, (b) seems preferable to me.
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10 Answers
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You may get different answers from different people. In everyday conversion, I'd be most likely to say (c) (by quite a long way), followed by (b). I don't think I ever use (a). To me, (a) feels more like AmE (though no doubt some BrE speakers use it too).

In formal English, (b) seems preferable to me.
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I generally agree with Mr. Wordy but as an AmE speaker I think I would be more inclined to one of the following than to your suggestions:
Have you eaten yet?
Have you had lunch yet?
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RayH
Have you eaten yet?

Have you had lunch yet?


Yes, I might easily use these too. (In my first reply, I wasn't really considering other possibilites, just deciding between the ones presented.)
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Thanks for your reply Mr. Wordy. It's good to get a BrE point of view as well. I haven't heard of conversion used the way you used it. Also, when you said "by quite a long way", would that mean you would say it more often than not? (at least that's what i gather from context) It's always nice to learn how others express their thoughts. Very interesting.
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Thanks for your reply Mr. Wordy. It's good to get a BrE point of view as well. I haven't heard of conversion used the way you used it. Also, when you said "by quite a long way", would that mean you would say it more often than not? (at least that's what i gather from context) It's always nice to learn how others express their thoughts. Very interesting.
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Thank you for your reply RayH. Your suggestions are very much appreciated. I should have ommitted "your" from "Have you had your lunch yet?" Awesome feedback gentlemen.
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Curious Cat, when you said "by quite a long way", would that mean you would say it more often than not?

Yes my feline friend, that's correct in respect of the three options you originally gave. Of those three options I would, in everyday conversation, be quite a bit more likely to say (c) than (a) or (b). However, I might also equally well use the example
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thanks for your detailed answers Mr. Wordy! I appreciate it!
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Have you finished your lunch
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Curious Cat Hi all,
which is more acceptable to say:
a) Did you eat lunch yet?
b) Have you eaten your lunch yet?
c) Have you had your lunch yet?
The situation behind this dialogue is: it's an hour past noon, and a colleague wanted to know if I had already eaten.
I sometimes interchange them. I feel that B or C so
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