[Grammar] have

[4ania4]

Dear Teachers,

I'd like to ask about the question:

Has she a car?

Is it completely incorrect, archaic or used only in some regions (regionally?).

Would it be accepted in an English examination?

Thank you for your help

 

[bhaisahab]

Dear Teachers,

I'd like to ask about the question:

Has she a car?

Is it completely incorrect, archaic or used only in some regions (regionally?).

Would it be accepted in an English examination?

Thank you for your help

For me it's completely correct (BrE). If I were marking the exam, I would accept it and secretly rejoice at the use of elegant English.

 

[charliedeut]

Hi,

And what about "Has she got a car"? Is this construction no longer used in English?

Thanks

Greetings,

Charliedeut

 

[SoothingDave]

"Does she have a car?" would probably be the most common way of asking.

"Has she got a car?" also works.

 

[4ania4]

Thank you very much for your answer. I have wanted to ask the questions for a long time.

I have one more question? How would you explain the fact that contemporary English course books do not teach the strucure. You can only find there:

Has she got a car?

Does she have a car?

Thank you very much.

 

[bhaisahab]

Has she a car?, Does she have a car?, Has she got a car? are all correct.

 

[SoothingDave]

You can form a question by inverting the position of subject and verb, but this sounds dated or formal.

 

[5jj]

I have one more question? How would you explain the fact that contemporary English course books do not teach the strucure.[Has she a car?]

Although survivors of the stone age such as Bhaisa and I were taught that has she is correct, and that has she got is not really acceptable, especially in formal situations, times have changed.

Some people now regard has she got or, especially for Americans, does she have as the only natural forms. It probably won't be long before that is true, but it isn't yet.

I feel that the couse books are right in presenting forms that are now generally acceptable in normal conversation. I regret that they give little acknowledgement to a form that is still used in more formal writing, and by many older people in speech.