Which is the correct short answer to a question with the verb 'have'.

Question

I've been just watching the British series Red Dwarf and something caught my attention. One of the main protagonists is talking with the ship's computer. At some point he gets annoyed and says: "It's obviously beyond me. I've got more teeth than brain cells." With these words he leaves the room. The computer responds almost nostalgically: "Yes, you have.".
I've always thought that such confirmation is reserved for The Present Perfect and the auxiliary 'do' should be used instead in case of The Present Simple. For instance: "Have you been to Brazil?" - "Yes, I have", but "Have you got a pen?" - "Yes, I do." Maybe the aforementioned example (the Red Dwarf one) is not the same grammar aspect? Or perhaps I've been living in ignorance not recognizing "Yes, I have" as a correct response to a question with 'have' as a main verb in the Present Simple?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I think we can choose between "have," "do," and "are," depending on the verb used in the antecedent clause.

She's beautiful. Yes, she is.
We're in trouble. Yes we are.

I have an angel sitting on my shoulder. Yes, you have. (I think "do" is optional here.)

There's an angel on my shoulder. Yes, there is.

I always take my time. Yes, you do.

I haven't had much luck lately. No, you haven't. (can't use "don't)

I don't have any class. No, you don't.

I guess the rules are more complex than I thought!

In my opinion, "Have got" is a special case. It's surely not the present perfect of "to get."

Have you taken your medicine? Yes, I have. ("Have" is an auxilliary here.)

Do you have your medicine? Yes, I do. ("Have" is the main verb here.)

I've fallen. Yes, you have. (aux)

I have a bump on my head. Yes, you do. (main verb) (I think "have" is okay here.)
This one is like your Red Dwarf example.

With questions, or negatives, the "do" auxilliary is required, so you must keep it for the tag.

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi, what you've written is pretty basic stuff :-). I'm just confused with "have" used instead of "do".
The question is whether "do" is optional or primal. And... if native speakers consider "Yes, I have" to be a correct short reply in The Present Simple tense.

Avangi · Answer

If you say, "I've got two tickets to tonight's game," it can have two meanings.
(1) "I have two tickets." (simple present)
(2) "I have obtained two tickets." (present perfect)

In the first one, "have" is the main verb, and the tag is "Yes, you do."

In the second one, "have" is the auxilliary verb, and the tag is "Yes, you have."

Edit. Sorry, Anon. I realized after I had babbled on that your question was more specific.

"Have got" is a terrible example to try to illustrate any kind of rule.

But people surely reply both ways in this particular case.

not recognizing "Yes, I have" as a correct response to a question with 'have' as a main verb in the Present Simple

It doesn't seem to be correct in terms of strict grammar, but it's very common.

On first reading, I didn't realize you acknowledged the Red Dwarf example as simple present.

Have you got a match? Yes, I have. How can you possibly analyze something like this?

Do you have a match? Yes, I do.

Most people consider these identical.

Got a match? No!

Avangi · Answer

AvangiDo you have a match? Yes, I do.

Unquestionably, among native speakers, "Yes, I have" would be as common an answer as "Yes, I do."

Anonymous · Answer

AvangiHave you got a match? Yes, I have. How can you possibly analyze something like this?

That's exacty what I'm trying to analyze. It appears to be simple on the surface, but my interest lies elsewhere - in the correctness of grammar.

And, if you don't mind my asking... Which English-speaking country are you a native of?

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousIt appears to be simple on the surface, but my interest lies elsewhere - in the correctness of grammar.

Thus far, I've spent 35 years in New England and and 40 in L.A.

I don't find anything simple about "What have you got?"
It's simple to the extent that it's a learned speech pattern and it's use is a knee-jerk; but the grammar confounds.
I'm sure our site and the web have no shortage of discussions on the subject.

not recognizing "Yes, I have" as a correct response to a question with 'have' as a main verb in the Present Simple

At the risk of beating a dead horse, this is the wrong question, if you're talking about
"Have you got . . . . . . ," unless you first accept it as "Do you have . . . . . "

She has a lot of nerve! (reply) Yes, she has/does.

Both are used - at least in the US.

Why the main verb is allowed as a tag (as an alternate to the auxilliary), only in the case of "to have," is unknown to me.

I think the first step is to get clear of the "have got" mess. It's a bad example, and doesn't really relate to your question.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousThe computer responds almost nostalgically: "Yes, you have.".

That makes sense in British English.

Anonymous"Have you got a pen?" - "Yes, I do."

Not really correct, but accepted in American casual speech. Here the listener has mentally translated "have you got" to "do you have" and answered the latter question, not the original one! Very common in the U.S.

CJ

Mr Wordy · Answer

I am a British English speaker. To me, "Yes, you do" as a rejoinder to "I've got more teeth than brain cells" feels American. I would naturally say "Yes, you have". Ditto for your second example, where I would say "Yes, I have" in both cases. I'm not sure if all BrE speakers would be of the same opinion as me.

Avangi · Answer

If "have" is an auxilliary in "Have you got a pen," making the main verb "to get" present perfect, then the question is, "Have you recently obtained a pen?"
If that's true, then we can substitute "Have you gotten a pen?"

But that may not be the question we're asking.

This doesn't seem to go very far toward answering the original question of why (or why not) "Yes, you have" is an acceptable "short answer" to "I have a pen."

Avangi · Answer

Note that while the Red Dwarf was offered as an example, the OP says he's inquiring about the tag in cases where "to have" is the main verb.

Which is the correct short answer to a question with the verb 'have'.

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