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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

haven't and don't have

difference between
i haven't a pen
i don 't have a pen
which one is correct?
thanks in advance
  

Top answer

Anonymous I haven't a pen. I don't have a pen. Both are correct.

  • Anonymous I haven't a pen.
  • I don't have a pen.
  • Both are correct.
  • The second is more common nowadays.
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3 Answers
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AnonymousI haven't a pen. I don't have a pen.
Both are correct. The second is more common nowadays.
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For me, "I haven't a pen" feels pretty unnatural in ordinary conversational English. In the UK, the most common way to say this in ordinary conversation is "I haven't got a pen". "I don't have a pen" is also fine; it feels slightly more formal.

Please note that the word "I" should always be capitalised.
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I haven't a pen wouldn't be very unusual if followed by a defining relative clause, eg. I haven't a pen which writes on glass.

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