[Grammar] HAVE/HAVEN'T

[fried-chips]

Hello. This is going to seem like an odd question, but hopefully someone on here will be able to help !

A couple of days ago I thought of a sentence, [ I was writing something] were I could have used the word HAVE or [ alternatively] HAVEN'T, with all the other words in the sentence being absolutely exactly the same, and when the meaning of the sentence remained absolutely correct and also unchanged.

Unfortunately, [ for me !] I can't remember what the sentence was.

And it doesn't really matter. The point remains.

But I'm sure for a Language based site this will not be difficult !

But it's driving me mental !

I expect that having now joined and posted this, it will come to me immediately.

In which case I will post it !!

But if anyone has any thoughts, please respond.

Cheers for now

FRIED-CHIPS

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hello. This is going to seem like an odd question, but hopefully someone on here will be able to help !

A couple of days ago I thought of a sentence, [ I was writing something] were I could have used the word HAVE or [ alternatively] HAVEN'T, with all the other words in the sentence being absolutely exactly the same, and when the meaning of the sentence remained absolutely correct and also unchanged.

Unfortunately, [ for me !] I can't remember what the sentence was.

And it doesn't really matter. The point remains.

But I'm sure for a Language based site this will not be difficult !

But it's driving me mental !

I expect that having now joined and posted this, it will come to me immediately.

In which case I will post it !!

But if anyone has any thoughts, please respond.

Cheers for now

FRIED-CHIPS

"Have" and "haven't" (have not) are direct opposites. It is difficult for me to come up with a sentence in which they would have the same meaning. But if you think of one, I would love to hear it.

 

[fried-chips]

That was the whole purpose of this post. I can't remember the sentence !!
But in the absence of anything more constructive from this site, I'm sure it will come back to me.....eventually.

And I will, of course, let you know.

Then I will be interested in your comments !!

As an after-thought, it is similar to the phrases " I couldn't care less" or " I could care less".

Which I take to mean the same, albeit totally opposite !!

 

[MikeNewYork]

That was the whole purpose of this post. I can't remember the sentence !!
But in the absence of anything more constructive from this site, I'm sure it will come back to me.....eventually.

And I will, of course, let you know.

Then I will be interested in your comments !!

As an after-thought, it is similar to the phrases " I couldn't care less" or " I could care less".

Which I take to mean the same, albeit totally opposite !!

"I couldn't care less" is the original phrase. "I could care less" was originally meant to be sarcastic. Unfortunately, it caught on and now many people can't tell the difference.

 

[fried-chips]

"I couldn't care less" is the original phrase. "I could care less" was originally meant to be sarcastic. Unfortunately, it caught on and now many people can't tell the difference.

I'm not sure that it's because 'they can't tell the difference' !!

It's just that it has moved into colloquial use, and now both phrases, although entirely opposite in literal meaning, are used for the same thing.

And I'm quite sure that it's a similar sort of thing to the 'Have/Haven't' that my post is about. Colloquial usage of an extreme opposite.

Colloquialism has a lot to answer for !!

Especially for the poor people trying to get to grips with the English Language !!

Cheers.

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forums, fried-chips.

Please note that we don't accept bizarre alternatives to standard punctuation.

Don't leave a space before a comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

Use only a single punctuation mark to end a sentence.

 

[Tdol]

I'm sure it will come back to me.....eventually.

Has it come back to you? I'm stumped and curious.

 

[Raymott]

I'm sure it will come back to me ... eventually.

And we use three dots for an ellipsis. As a retired academic and native speaker, you probably once knew all this.
(It's nothing personal, but on this site we try to set an example for learners.)

 

[fried-chips]

Fine. I am clearly on the wrong site.

As a professional writer for 50 years, and the author of over 3000 Film, TV and Radio plays and scripts, I do not need to to given a lesson in what I can or can not write, or the way in which I should write it.

I posted my question, in good faith, because it did mean something to me, and if I hadn't received an important phone call when I was about to email a colleague about it, I'm sure I wouldn't have forgotten the question !! I guess it's a sign of old age.

You carry on setting an example for learners.

Frankly I have found all the posts on this topic pretty pathetic, and I had expected more.

My mistake.

You won't hear from me again.

If I do remember what was troubling me [ my only reason for joining this very pedantic site,] I may post it.

Or I may not.

As it seems you are all more interested in academic English than the real world.

I'm sure you are all disappointed in me.

But you will be pleased to learn that I am ten times more disappointed in you.

As one of you said...... " Nothing Personal" !!

[Sorry about the six dots. Is that a 'Double ellipsis' ? ]

Bye.

 

[Rover_KE]

We'll do our best to soldier on without you.:-(

 

[Tdol]

I am closing this thread- more than enough has been said.

 

[5jj]

I am closing this thread

Spoilsport!