Hello,
I've come across this sentence: "In sitting here, I haven't a care in the world."
I understand that the person is saying that s/he has nothing to worry about. Although, why does s/he say "haven't" instead of "don't have"?
I've already seen the use of "haven't" like this. Is it informal?
Thank you so much.
Best wishes.
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Hi, JessyA,
@JessyA posted:Hello,
I've come across this sentence: "In sitting here, I haven't a care in the world."
I understand that the person is saying that s/he has nothing to worry about. Although, why does s/he say "haven't" instead of "don't have"?
I've already seen the use of "haven't" like this. Is it informal?
Thank you so much.
Best wishes.
This usage of 'haven't' sounds archaic and unnatural, but not ungrammatical.
Michael Swan, 3rd edition, page 208, says:
"Short question and negative forms (e.g.Have you...?...she has not) were common in older English. In modern English, they are rather formal and uncommon (except in a few fixed expressions like I haven't the faintest idea. They are not normally used in American English:
- Have you an appointment? (formal British English only)
- Do you have an appointment? (American English/British English)
- Angela has not the charm of her older sisters. (formal British English only)
- Angela does not have the charm.. (American English/ British English)"
Having a look at this expression in some English dictionaries, I haven't found any example using 'haven't a care'. They do use 'don't / doesn't / didn't' have a care.
@JessyA posted:". . . I haven't a care in the world."
Hi, Jessy—I agree with Ahmed_btm. To expand a little on what he said, the main verb "have" (signifying possession) is capable of functioning as an auxiliary verb in British English (at least among older speakers of British English).
When the main verb "have" functions as an auxiliary, it works like the main verb "be." Both are capable of preceding sentential "not" ("It is not green"; "He has not the time") and of subject-auxiliary inversion:
It is green.
Is it green?
He has the time.
Has he the time?
In AmE, though, the main verb "have" is not an auxiliary verb. "Have" is only an auxiliary for us when it is part of perfective construction: "Have you been there?" The main verb "be," however, is always also an auxiliary.
Thank you so much to both of you for your clear and enlightening explanations.
