# how many children have you/do you have?



## castillodeif

Hi,

Which it`s the correct sentence and why:
- How many children *do you have*?
- Hoy many children *have you*?

I've always hear this two possibilites.

Thanks in advance


----------



## chinesegirl

I think the first sentence is correct.
The second sentence should be:
How many children have you had?


----------



## Kaioxygen

As it's a question so.. _How many children_ do you have is gramatically correct .
However in spoken English you'd normally ask. How many children have you got..


----------



## castillodeif

Kaioxygen said:


> As it's a question so.. _How many children_ do you have is gramatically correct .
> However in spoken English you'd normally ask. How many children have you got..




Thank you Kaioxygen!!! But this spoken english is gramatically correct?


----------



## sound shift

castillodeif said:


> Thank you Kaioxygen!!! But this spoken english is gramatically correct?


Yes, "How many children have you got?" is widely used and regarded as grammatically correct in the UK, but it may be regarded differently in other countries.


----------



## erins

In the US we would not normally use the phrase "How many children have you got?". It would be gramatically correct but unusual.
We would say, "How many children do you have?"


----------



## Kaioxygen

erins said:


> In the US we would not normally use the phrase "How many children have you got?". It would be gramatically correct but unusual.
> We would say, "How many children do you have?"


 
I find that very odd erins as here it's regarded as an Americanism. 50 years ago in the UK people used to say "How many children do you have" now they do not. If you watch any American TV programme the _have got_ form is always used.


----------



## donbill

erins said:


> In the US we would not normally use the phrase "How many children have you got?". It would be gramatically correct but unusual.
> We would say, "How many children do you have?"



I agree with you 100%, erins! 'How many children have you got' sounds very strange to me. The word 'got' strikes me--and, I think, most speakers of American English--as completely unnecessary.

It's an interesting point of difference between our varieties of English!


----------



## Kaioxygen

Maybe it's a North Carolina thing . You two have really surprised me.


----------



## gringuitoloco

erins said:


> In the US we would not normally use the phrase "How many children have you got?". It would be gramatically correct but unusual.
> We would say, "How many children do you have?"



I also agree, and I live in Florida.


----------



## Kaioxygen

Ok, I stand corrected. Although I'm genuinely surprised. You learn something every day.
 In any case, that's how you would say it in the UK.


----------



## donbill

Kaioxygen said:


> Ok, I stand corrected. Although I'm genuinely surprised. You learn something every day.
> In any case, that's how you would say it in the UK.



I would not say 'I have got an idea', but I would say 'I've got an idea'. I would also say 'I've got some friends who live there', but I would never (?) say 'I have got some friends who live there'. I don't know if the contraction has the same effect on the other US foreros who have contributed to this post or not. Maybe it's just the full form 'have' + 'got' that bothers me. 

Kaioxygen, would you say 'I gotta lot of friends who live there'? 'Got time to help me this afternoon?' 'Gotta go now. I'll talk to you later'?


----------



## Lavernock

I always prefer  "have got" to talk about what is mine.

Note the difference in meaning.  "I have a shower  every morning."  

                  "I have got a shower as well as a bath in my bathroom."


----------



## Kaioxygen

donbill said:


> I would not say 'I have got an idea', but I would say 'I've got an idea'. I would also say 'I've got some friends who live there', but I would never (?) say 'I have got some friends who live there'. I don't know if the contraction has the same effect on the other US foreros who have contributed to this post or not. Maybe it's just the full form 'have' + 'got' that bothers me.
> 
> Kaioxygen, would you say 'I gotta lot of friends who live there'? 'Got time to help me this afternoon?' 'Gotta go now. I'll talk to you later'?


 
Ok, I see your point
In that case I agree, no one in England would say I _have_ got some friends(unless for emphasis)...But _I've_ got some friends 
I just assumed that as this is a grammar forum that was understood and we were discussing _have_ verses _have got_.


----------



## donbill

Lavernock said:


> I always prefer  "have got" to talk about what is mine.
> 
> Note the difference in meaning.  "I have a shower  every morning."
> 
> "I have got a shower as well as a bath in my bathroom."



I would say "I have a shower as well as a bath (tub) in my bathroom". 
For me, there is no difference in meaning between "I have a shower in my bathroom" and "I have got a shower in my bathroom". I just prefer the first one. In most cases, I would say "I take a shower every morning" rather than "I have a shower every morning".

Small but interesting differences!

Saludos


----------



## erins

Hmmm very interesting. I'm thinking about my own usage, and I can say that I might say "She's got 3 kids" just as often as I would say "She has 3 kids." Maybe it's something about the question form "How many kids ...?" that makes us give up the "got". It may have to do with the contraction, as donbill mentioned, since the question form does not allow a contraction of have.


----------



## ribran

To me, there is something slightly unsettling about the question "How many children have you got?" It gives me the impression that the speaker considers children disposable or unimportant. I'm not sure why I have such a strong reaction to such a simple, innocent question.


----------



## Kaioxygen

I can only reiterate that in England this is the standard was to ask this question. _Do you have any children_ sounds extremely formal.


----------



## bobo25

I'm with Kaioxygen on this in England we use 'got' more than you guys maybe that's it. 

Anyway I'd say 'How many children have you got?' /'Have you got children?'/Do you have children?'


----------



## ribran

bobo25 said:


> I'm with Kaioxygen on this in England we use 'got' more than you guys maybe that's it.
> 
> Anyway I'd say 'How many children have you got?' /'Have you got children?'/Do you have children?'



Something similar is Americans' puzzlement over how to refer to babies whose sex isn't obvious without offending the parents. We will often resort to the most convoluted, roundabout syntax to avoid that pronoun which I believe Britons regard as completely benign: _it_. I'm certain that many American parents would take offense at that. "It?!?!" they might indignantly respond.


----------



## bobo25

haha no I think we do have that problem too! I remember being younger and my mum being pregnant and not knowing what to say (as I didn't know the word 'sibling' existed), yet even now that I do it doesn't feel ever so natural to use. 

We do use_* it *_as in 'I wonder what it will look like' or 'I wonder who it will take after', but most people just stick a sex on it without knowing - which ever they hope it will be I suppose.


----------



## hitomi_85

Good morning. I am an Italian teacher of English and I have to write an English test for my students (they are Italian). Speaking about a writer I would ask them "how many children has she got?", but I read here that it would be grammatically better "How many children does she have?". 
Which sentence do you suggest me, considering it is a school test?
Thanks a lot in advance.


----------



## SergioFire

hitomi_85 said:


> Good morning. I am an Italian teacher of English and I have to write an English test for my students (they are Italian). Speaking about a writer I would ask them "how many children has she got?", but I read here that it would be grammatically better "How many children does she have?".
> Which sentence do you suggest me, considering it is a school test?
> Thanks a lot in advance.


I'd suggest the second one


----------



## hitomi_85

Thanks a lot!


----------



## Amapolas

Back to post #1, what's wrong with 'how many children have you'? I think it's probably old-fashioned, but I wouldn't say it's wrong, like someone wrote above.

I'd like to hear some input from the natives.


----------



## spilorrific

Kaioxygen said:


> As it's a question so.. _How many children_ do you have is gramatically correct .
> However in spoken English you'd normally ask. How many children have you got..


In spoken British English, "have you got..." is preferred, perhaps, but in the US "do you have" is much more common. 
The original question "How many children have you?" seems old-fashioned, but it's not incorrect. I think of nursery rhymes and songs I was taught as a child: Baa, baa black sheep, HAVE YOU any wool? Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full." (Do you have any wool?)


----------



## Amapolas

Thanks, Spilorrific. I was thinking about my question a little while ago, and 'Baa, baa, black sheep' came to mind.


----------

