[Grammar] Tag questions with the verb "to have"

[Sneymarin]

Hello, I would appreciate some help with this sentence:
"But you have all Sunday to study, have you not?"
I have been corrected because have is not used as an auxiliary verb here and that I should use "don't you" instead.
I think that both versions are fine but I'm not sure. I hope someone can enlighten me.

Thank you for your time.

 

[probus]

While I agree with you that both versions are fine, "have you not" sounds both old-fashioned and inappropriately formal to my ear. "Don't you" is the modern turn of phrase. Old Fowler would have called "don't you" racy and "have you not" stuffy.

 

[jutfrank]

Where did you hear this sentence? Who said it? To whom? Please remember to cite the source for every sentence you ask about.

We must know how the language is used if we want to comment on why the user chose to use it.

 

[PaulMatthews]

[1] But you have all Sunday to study, have you not?
[2] But you have all Sunday to study, haven't you?
[3] But you have all Sunday to study, don't you?

To my ear, [1] sounds very formal. [2] sounds normal in BrE. [3] sounds distinctly AmE.

 

[GoesStation]

[1] But you have all Sunday to study, have you not?
[2] But you have all Sunday to study, haven't you?
[3] But you have all Sunday to study, don't you?

To my ear, [1] sounds very formal. [2] sounds normal in BrE. [3] sounds distinctly AmE.

1 is indeed extremely formal and rarely used. I don't know whether Brits use number 2, but it's not common in AmE. Number 3 works fine as a tag question containing some implied words: don't you [have all Sunday]?

 

[emsr2d2]

After "You have", I'd use "haven't you?" as the tag question.
After "You've got", I'd use "don't you?"

 

[Sneymarin]

Where did you hear this sentence? Who said it? To whom? Please remember to cite the source for every sentence you ask about.

We must know how the language is used if we want to comment on why the user chose to use it.

I apologize, I thought it was clear from my post that it was I who said it because I said "I was corrected...". I was talking in a Discord chat made for English beginners where we usually talk in "proper English", meaning that slang and abbreviations have to be explained if used and misspellings and legitimate grammatical errors should be avoid. Semi-formal speech and pointing out errors is encouraged. Someone pointed out that the "have you not" I used is incorrect, and while I remembered that you could use both "don't you" and "have you not", I wanted to confirm it so other learners could take note of it.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was talking in a discord chat ...

I notice that you have used that phrase in a couple of posts. Please put me out of my misery and explain what on earth a "discord chat" is.

 

[Sneymarin]

I notice that you have used that phrase in a couple of posts. Please put me out of my misery and explain what on earth a "discord chat" is.

Discord is a software where you can chat and talk with other people, similar to Skype. On discord you can create a "server" and divide it in various chats, like "General", "beginner_english", "advanced_english". You can join a server and talk with other people. I probably should have capitalized it in my previous post.

 

[Tarheel]

It's an app?
:?:

 

[Sneymarin]

It's an app?
:?:

Yes, but it's also available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, other than iOS and Android.

 

[emsr2d2]

I think you'll find, in that case, that it should be capitalised.

I was chatting on Discord ...
I was talking to someone on Discord ...
I was using the Discord app to chat ...

A quick Google search has confirmed my suspicion. It's a brand name and, as such, should be capitalised.

 

[Sneymarin]

I think you'll find, in that case, that it should be capitalised.

I was chatting on Discord ...
I was talking to someone on Discord ...
I was using the Discord app to chat ...

A quick Google search has confirmed my suspicion. It's a brand name and, as such, should be capitalised.

Yes, I have realized my mistake and already done so.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, and it's also available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, other than iOS and Android.

That would be a good response to "Is it available for XYZ?"

 

[Sneymarin]

That would be a good response to "Is it available for XYZ?"

I thought you meant a phone app. That's why I used "but". I usually use "app" to refer to mobile software and just "software" to refer to PC software, but it seems that app can be used to refer to both.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, but "but" should not be there. Instead it should be "and" as you added additional information. (Use "but" to indicate a contradiction.)

 

[Sneymarin]

Yes, but "but" should not be there. Instead it should be "and" as you added additional information. (Use "but" to indicate a contradiction.)

I know. I used "but" before because I interpreted your post wrongly. I thought you were referring to "app for phone" with "app":
Tarheel: It's an app (for phone in my interpretation)?
Me: Yes (it's an app for phone), but it's also available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, other than iOS and Android.
Or is it wrong even in this interpretation?

 

[Tarheel]

I would still use and, but you could argue for but on the basis that apps aren't normally available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, etc.