I don't have "a pen" / "any pen". Which one is more common?

[love-you-mom]

1- I don't have a pen.
2- I don't have any pens.

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1- I don't have money.
2- I don't have any money.

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1- I don't have a bike.
2- I don't have any bikes.

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a- Are both 1 and 2 common?
b- Is "any" for emphasis?
c- Which one you like to use?

 

[Barb_D]

1.
It's common enough for one person to have more than one pen, a countable object.
If I needed to sign something, I need only one pen. I'd say the first.
If you asked to borrow a ben, I have none at all to give you, and I'd say the second.

2. I would say "any money" - a non-count noun.

3.
Most people own only one bike for their personal use. If talking about myself, I'd use the first one.
If you owned a bike/scooter/etc. rental place, you would be expected to have multiple bikes. Let's say you had a big day; you might say to the late-arriving customer "I'm sorry, I don't have any bikes."

 

[InPerfectEnglish]

Hello,

Both formats are correct. Saying "I don't have a..." is used to talk about a singular object. So if someone asks if you have a pen that he could borrow, the most common response would be, "I don't have a pen." Although you could say "I don't have any pens" if you want to emphasize that you do not own a single pen - not with you, not at home, not at your office, etc.

Regarding the sentence referring to money I personally feel that "I don't have any money" is the most common response. However the connotation could be different in many different scenarios depending on the context in which it is used.

Hope this helps!

Best,

In Perfect English

 

[Winwin2011]

Can we say 'I don't have money' to mean that 'I'm not rich'?

Thanks.

 

[BobK]

It's acceptable but unusual. But in a context where you were saying 'Money is something I don't have' - say, like someone I heard on the radio the other day, you had decided to live without money for a time - it would make sense.

b