Two Negative Forms of the English Verb HAVE
There are two ways to make the negative form of the verb HAVE or HAS:
- Don’t have / Doesn’t have
- Haven’t / Hasn’t
When “have” is the main verb (meaning possession), then the negative form is “don’t have / doesn’t have.”
- Positive: I have a car.
- Negative: I don’t have a car.
- Incorrect: I haven’t a car.
Here’s an example with “has”:
- Positive: She has a dog.
- Negative: She doesn’t have a dog.
- Incorrect: She hasn’t a dog
When “have” is the auxiliary verb (like in the present perfect) then use “haven’t / hasn’t”:
- Correct: I haven’t finished my homework yet.
- Incorrect: I don’t have finished my homework yet.
- Correct: She hasn’t spoken to me for three weeks.
- Incorrect: She doesn’t have spoken to me for three weeks.
HAVE and HAVE GOT
Either “have” or “have got” can be used when “have” is the main verb (in the case of possession):
- Do you have a pencil?
- Have you got a pencil?
- She has a lot of work to do this weekend.
- She’s got a lot of work to do this weekend.
These sentences are all correct.
Again, “have got” can only be used in the case of possession, when you own an object. You CAN’T use “have got” in expressions like “have breakfast” or “have fun,” because these are not objects that you possess:
- Correct: I have breakfast at 6 AM.
- Incorrect: I’ve got breakfast at 6 AM.
- Correct: I had fun at the party.
- Incorrect: I’d got fun at the party.
Clear up your doubts about confusing words… and use English more confidently!
