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I am no longer try to convince people I am important while secretly fearing I am not.

What is the role of 'I am not' in this term? Why didn't used 'that's not' instead?

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  • He used to try to convince people that he was important. At that time he feared that he was not important. Why do you think he should call himself that? Feb 11, 2020 at 16:34
  • @Lambie But it is - did you read it all?
    – TypeIA
    Feb 11, 2020 at 21:23
  • Ok, I see it now.
    – Lambie
    Feb 11, 2020 at 21:43

1 Answer 1

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What you have quoted is not grammatical: you mean I no longer try, or possibly I am no longer trying.

When you end a clause with not it is usually understood to be implicitly followed by something that came earlier in the sentence. So I am not is means I am not important.

"That's not" would not make sense here, because the thing whose importance is being talked about is "I", not some "that".

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  • (So we go, rowing our boats along the editing stream. :))
    – Lambie
    Feb 11, 2020 at 18:25

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