don't have...... have not

ripsi   Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:41 pm GMT
Hi

Is it right to use "have not" instead of "don't have " when "have" is a main verb?!!

I have not any brother!
Guest   Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:58 pm GMT
No not really. That would sound odd.
NewEnglander   Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:59 pm GMT
Though not grammatically incorrect, it sounds awkward to my American ear. The singular use of 'brother' is also not the most common format. Better save this sentence for special emphatic or poetic occasions. ;-)
Guest   Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:37 am GMT
I haven't any brothers. (wasn't this on the U/non-U list? Sounds a bit formal)/I haven't got any brothers (this sounds like British English, or informal North American English)/I don't have any brothers (North American English)
Guest   Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:28 pm GMT
You can also say:

"I have no brothers."

If you wan't to be really informal:

"I ain't got no brothers."
Travis   Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:35 pm GMT
"I don't have any brothers" is the normal, unmarked usage in most NAE dialects, i would have to say myself.
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:26 pm GMT
<<You can also say:
"I ain't got no brothers.">>

Don't tell the OP to say that. Someone may think he's an idiot and will probably spit on him. I was in the supermarket last week and heard a guy say to his daughter, "gawn honey, gitchyerself some cane-dee" and I did spit on him and I told him to watch his fucking mouth and not to teach his little girl such language. I told him if he wants to talk like that he should go back to the hole he crawled out of. I couldn't stand to see him use that kind of language in front of his child because she may pick it up. What's worse is he was a stutterer. "G-g-gawn honey, g-g-g-gitchyers - s- self some c-c-cane-dee". What a loser.