1/11/2017 auxiliary verbs - "she did have" or "she did has" - English Language Learners Stack Exchange

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she did have or she did has

I just read this in a novel, and the sentence goes something like this

Perhaps she did have asthma

auxiliary-verbs subject-verb-agreement do-support emphasis

edited May 16 at 18:33 asked May 16 at 15:17

Jasper Intoxyy
15.5k 3 30 59 6 1

2 When to do is used as an auxiliary verb (in your example, to provide emphasis over and above the simple statement
She had asthma), you only inflect do for tense/number. The primary verb (to have, in this case) should be a simple
infinitive form (but note that in such constructions we don't include the "infinitive marker" to). FumbleFingers May
16 at 15:35

That is simply not true: Perhaps she did like to ride motorcycles. Lambie May 17 at 20:45

3 Answers

She did have. >>> You can only use the original form of the verb after the
verb "do".

Grammatically, you can even say "she does do sth." >> Means "She indeed
does sth."

answered May 16 at 15:30

xiaoting peng
19 1

While you may think

She +has asthma.

should be together, that is the present tense. However, your sentence is in the
past tense

She had asthma.

When formed with did + infinitive root creates the *past

She did have asthma.

answered May 16 at 15:28

Peter
53k 1 40 96

Auxiliary verbs in declarative sentences are used to emphasize the idea expressed by
the verb, when the verb takes an auxiliary. Emphasis for tenses where auxiliaries are part of
the sentence is heard through intonation only.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/129624/she-did-have-or-she-did-has 1/2
1/11/2017 auxiliary verbs - "she did have" or "she did has" - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
1) Perhaps she had asmthma. Perhaps she did have asthma.

2) They read a lot of books last summer. They did read a lot of books last summer.

3) They've been swimming a lot lately. They have been swimming a lot lately.

In cases like this, the long form of the verb may be used in writing but when speaking, the
auxiliary is stressed more if one wants to emphasize the idea about swimming.

4) We'd love to see them tomorrow. We would love to see them tomorrow.

Again, the would cannot be shortened if you are emphasizing this with intonation. Otherwise,
one would most likely shorten it. We'd etc. 5) They have a huge house. They do have a
huge house.

answered May 16 at 16:42

Lambie
3,664 4 16

Whoever has downvoted this doesn't know how English works. It's pathetic. Lambie May 17 at 20:44

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/129624/she-did-have-or-she-did-has 2/2