Quote:
Originally Posted by silviasabater_2000  ...
Someone told me that in British English the verb to have doesn't need the auxiliary did for the negative and interrogative forms in the past tense either, so that you could say "Had you a dog?" instead of "Did you have a dog?"
Sílvia |
Well yes, but
Did you have a dog? is much the more common form.
Another, even less common use of
had is in place of
if:
If I had a dog I'd feel safer =
Had I a dog I'd feel safer
This usage is not very common at all in most contexts, but is still often used by public speakers:
Had we known then what we know now we wouldn't have invaded Iraq.
b