Korean Job Discussion Forums

[seonsengnimble]

I may have asked this before, but do to my copious consumption of cass, I may have forgotten the answer.

About a year ago, my superviosr and director asked me if the statement "I have not a hat" was grammatically correct. I said no and that the closest thing would be in British English, "I haven't got a hat." My reasoning was that not only combines with an auxiliary verb, and in the example sentence, have was acting as a main verb.

I have since pondered this assessment while thinking about JFK's famous line "Ask not what your country can do for you....".

Is my explanation wrong? Or does not modify "what your country can do for you" rather than ask?

[jhuntingtonus]

I think it is grammatically correct, just a matter of style. JFK's line worked, but the line you suggest doesn't. A matter of ear. I have a co-teacher who works hard at phrasing things well, and I tell him what I think sounds best, while emphasizing that some constructions are not wrong, just inferior.

[themagicbean]

Not modifies the verb.

"Do not go in there." = "Go not in there." (The former is modern.)

"I will go not in there." = "I will not go in there."

"I have not a X." Fine, but archaic. Look to tranlated middle English poetry or 19th (or earlier) century works for examples.

"I teach you not." = "I don't teach you." Again, okay but archaic.

[Unposter]

I believe you use "don't" in the negative.

I don't have a hat.

[Meenam]

themagicbean is right. as is the sentence. grammatically correct, but old english and you would never hear anyone speak like that anymore. so in that sense it's wrong.