Learn English – “Haven’t you got X ?” or “Don’t you have X ?”

auxiliary-verbsbritish-englishnegation

In British English negative questions with the verb have (when it's a lexical verb and not an auxiliary) can be formed in two ways. Is there any difference between them?

Type 1

  • Haven't I got your number?
  • Haven't you got her number?
  • Hasn't he got your number?
  • Haven't we got her number?
  • Haven't they got our number?

Type 2

  • Don't I have your number?
  • Don't you have her number?
  • Doesn't he have your number?
  • Don't we have her number?
  • Don't they have our number?

Best Answer

At school in the UK in the 70's and 80's, we were always taught that "get" and "got" were very lazy and ugly-sounding verbs to use, and that there was nearly always a better alternative. So people of my generation would probably tend to prefer the "Don't I have" variations, at least in formal speech, even though they're all grammatically correct.

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