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Sundarnaz Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Help with negative

I have a ball. Can the negative be "I haven't a ball."
  

Top answer

That would be unusual for most modern speakers. Normally you would say "I don't have a ball" or (especially informally) "I haven't got a ball". I assume you are talking about literal ownership of a ball, not the idiom "have a ball" meaning "have a good time".

— GPY

  • That would be unusual for most modern speakers.
  • Normally you would say "I don't have a ball" or (especially informally) "I haven't got a ball".
  • I assume you are talking about literal ownership of a ball, not the idiom "have a ball" meaning "have a good time".
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5 Answers
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That would be unusual for most modern speakers.

Normally you would say "I don't have a ball" or (especially informally) "I haven't got a ball".

I assume you are talking about literal ownership of a ball, not the idiom "have a ball" meaning "have a good time".
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Yes, it's about ownership of a ball. So, I don't have a ball is correct. Right?
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sundarnazSo, I don't have a ball is correct. Right?
Right.
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And the interrogative of the sentence is "do I have a ball?" Right?
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sundarnaz And the interrogative of the sentence is "do I have a ball?" Right?
Yes, or you might hear "Have you got a ball?"

Excuse me, do you have a pen I could borrow?
Excuse me, have you got a pen I could borrow?

Same thing.
(US usage)
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