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Parkerdrums Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Why do we use "don't have", instead of "haven't"?
"I haven't usually breakfast in the morning"
It's a student error. How do i correct?
The positive form would be "I usually have breakfast in the morning", so it's easy to see how the mistake has been made. The student assumes that you simply use the negative form of have.
But why don't we? Why is an auxiliary verb employed in the negative but not the positive?
I've got to re-submit an assignment and this is the only point I've got to re-submit on.
Any ideas?
Cheers
Matt
It's a student error. How do i correct?
The positive form would be "I usually have breakfast in the morning", so it's easy to see how the mistake has been made. The student assumes that you simply use the negative form of have.
But why don't we? Why is an auxiliary verb employed in the negative but not the positive?
I've got to re-submit an assignment and this is the only point I've got to re-submit on.
Any ideas?
Cheers
Matt
Top answer
Hi Matt, and welcome to English Forums. I'm not sure I agree with your lecturer. In American English, we rarely say "I haven't time" - instead we say "I don't have time" but either way, "have" is the main verb.
- Hi Matt, and welcome to English Forums.
- I'm not sure I agree with your lecturer.
- In American English, we rarely say "I haven't time" - instead we say "I don't have time" but either way, "have" is the main verb.
- (Could your lecturer possibly be thinking that "breakfast" is being used as a verb?
- I haven't time TO breakfast?
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19 Answers
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Hi Matt, and welcome to English Forums.
I'm not sure I agree with your lecturer.
In American English, we rarely say "I haven't time" - instead we say "I don't have time" but either way, "have" is the main verb. (Could your lecturer possibly be thinking that "breakfast" is being used as a verb? I haven't time TO breakfast? It's not very common to say it that way, and sounds like
I'm not sure I agree with your lecturer.
In American English, we rarely say "I haven't time" - instead we say "I don't have time" but either way, "have" is the main verb. (Could your lecturer possibly be thinking that "breakfast" is being used as a verb? I haven't time TO breakfast? It's not very common to say it that way, and sounds like
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Here's my original answer to the question.
1. “I haven’t usually breakfast in the morning”
Sentence should read: “I don’t usually have breakfast in the morning”.
Subject + do (neg) + frequency adverb + verb
Student has used have as a main and auxiliary verb, instead of have for the main and
do (negative) for the auxiliary. An L1 interference problem encountered by n
1. “I haven’t usually breakfast in the morning”
Sentence should read: “I don’t usually have breakfast in the morning”.
Subject + do (neg) + frequency adverb + verb
Student has used have as a main and auxiliary verb, instead of have for the main and
do (negative) for the auxiliary. An L1 interference problem encountered by n
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parkerdrumsStudent has used have as a main and auxiliary verb, instead of have for the main and do (negative) for the auxiliary.
In the original, the student used "have" as the main verb - there is no aux. verb.
parkerdrumsSubject + do (neg) + frequency adverb + verb (aux)Why do you have "(aux)" after "verb"?
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That (aux) isn't supposed to be there.
Good point about there being no auxiliary verb in the first sentence, but i still don't know why we use don't instead of haven't.
"I usually have breakfast in the morning".
It's easy to see why the student has assumed that in using the neg form of have, they should say haven't. Equally it's obvious that it's
Good point about there being no auxiliary verb in the first sentence, but i still don't know why we use don't instead of haven't.
"I usually have breakfast in the morning".
It's easy to see why the student has assumed that in using the neg form of have, they should say haven't. Equally it's obvious that it's
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Hi,
As GG already metioned, it's not exactly accurate to call it a grammar error.
In your answer,have you considerd including a comment that some expressions seem correct but are simply not idiomatic?
Best wishes, Clive
As GG already metioned, it's not exactly accurate to call it a grammar error.
In your answer,have you considerd including a comment that some expressions seem correct but are simply not idiomatic?
Best wishes, Clive
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Thanks Clive.
Is it simply a case of the student over-generalising a rule about have (negative)? Is there a rule about this, or is it an exception?
Is it simply a case of the student over-generalising a rule about have (negative)? Is there a rule about this, or is it an exception?
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Hi,
Here's how I'd approach it.
I have a car. Here, have means 'possess'.
I have breakfast. Here, in the sense we are discussing, have means 'eat', not possess.
It's because of this difference in meaning that you can say 'I haven't a car', but you can't say 'I haven't breakfast'.
For example, you wouldn't say 'I eat not breakfa
Here's how I'd approach it.
I have a car. Here, have means 'possess'.
I have breakfast. Here, in the sense we are discussing, have means 'eat', not possess.
It's because of this difference in meaning that you can say 'I haven't a car', but you can't say 'I haven't breakfast'.
For example, you wouldn't say 'I eat not breakfa
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Thanks Clive,
that's cleared things up a bit. Although would you say "I haven't a car"? Is that correct English, or does it require got?
That's a side issue though. On the whole i think that's exactly what i was looking for.
Thank you.
Matt
that's cleared things up a bit. Although would you say "I haven't a car"? Is that correct English, or does it require got?
That's a side issue though. On the whole i think that's exactly what i was looking for.
Thank you.
Matt
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That's one of those BrE/AmE things, I think.
Very generally, we form the negative with the "do" form for simple present and simple past.
I run every morning, I don't run every morning. Certainly "I runn't" is wrong.
I baked these cookies myself, I didn't bake these cookies myself. Certainly "I baken't" is wrong.
For some verbs, this construction is not used, par
Very generally, we form the negative with the "do" form for simple present and simple past.
I run every morning, I don't run every morning. Certainly "I runn't" is wrong.
I baked these cookies myself, I didn't bake these cookies myself. Certainly "I baken't" is wrong.
For some verbs, this construction is not used, par
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