Questions tagged [negation]
"Negation" is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite denial.
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Shouldn't we need to put “not” before “because” to make the structure take “..not…but rather” form?
I am confusing. I guess the author want to express the contrast by using ...not...but rather structure. to negate the forepart proposition, should not we have to insert the "not" to make that part ...
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Can the expanded form of {don't/doesn't} be used as 'correct English'?
I know it may not be very common, but I need to use it in its expanded form (i.e., do not and does not) for a formatting issue.
For example:
X does not see any logic in your reasoning.
X: is ...
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48 views
What's the difference between “Try not to blink” and “Try to do not blink”
I recently heard:
Try not to blink.
However I knew the following form:
Try to do not blink.
Is one of them wrong? What is the difference ?
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2answers
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“Consider me in”, about the phrase and its negation
I have wanted to ask about the proper negation of the phrase "Consider me in", but as I have found nearly no result when I searched it on Google, I need to know first if it is common and correct. I'm ...
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2answers
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Not repeating the negation for the second clause
On world building meta I came across this sentence:
Now I truly believe that those that ask in this manner are not actually lazy and just expect us to do their work for them.
How is this sentence ...
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2answers
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Can “non” be used as a separate word?
I used non trivial and a grammar correction website shows it is wrong and should be either non-trivial or nontrivial.
x appears in a non trivial number of pages
Or
x appears in a non-...
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2answers
27 views
Weak negation vs absolute negation
I am wondering how "More by your numbers than your light" relate to "That poorly satisfy our eyes" or "You common people of the skies". I am trying to understand this excerpt as a non-native and I am ...
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4answers
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About the negative form
I got a question about negative form. Could you please help me deal with that? Here is the question.
If someone says, “I don’t think that he will come tomorrow.”
What does it mean actually? “I ...
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4answers
80 views
can “what have you done” be asked in a neutral way?
I'd like to know if "what have you done?" can be used as a neutral question, since it is often used to express anger, shock or sadness.
For example: I want to close a window that has been opened by ...
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1answer
53 views
why should Allah punish you if you thanked him and believed in him? [closed]
I would like to know if there is any kind of negation in this question.
Thanks a lot
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1answer
19 views
Difference between being and be
For example:
don't be aggressive
don't being aggressive
Could you tell me which one is used in which situation?
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1answer
14 views
In a negative-intergative sentence, whether NOT before subject or after subject?
I'm a boy.
I'm happy.
I'm eating rice.
I eat rice.
I have eaten rice.
I'm here.
I'm in Canada.
What would be negative questions for all above? I'm confused sometimes "NOT" sits before subject like ...
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3answers
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usage of “no” in a list
I am writing a journal article and tying to give an interesting title.
In this article I illustrate the situation of certain people who are neither satisfied with their life nor healthy.
I would like ...
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1answer
64 views
How to agree with a negative statement?
In an application form I saw this question. The applicant needs to check one box yes or no.
I have not been employed in any illegal entities.
Choose Yes or No
It confuses me, If the applicant ...
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2answers
69 views
Why can't I say 'I almost don't sleep?
Why can't I say 'I almost don't sleep? Is there any rule about it?
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verb+“to not”+infinitive OR verb+“not to”+infinitive
I believe the negative of a sentence, in which an infinitive is used, is made in two different ways.
For example, "I know what to say." can be negated as follows;
I know what not to say.
I don’t ...
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1answer
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“nobody could beat me” vs “anybody could beat me” [closed]
This is a part of translation work that I am doing.
Let everyone declare that I am defeated, until I concede defeat, nowhere, ever, anyone/anybody could beat me.
Is the bold part correct in ...
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1answer
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Using “whether .. or” in negated sentence
I have a sentence like this:
.. and have no students whether from the same city or others at all
Is it correct? Or would using neither as below seems better:
.. and have no students neither ...
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1answer
107 views
Without anything vs without everything?
What's more correct in English: without anything or without everything? (in meaning 'total negation')
Sample:
It's asp.net core 2.1 app without everything (without web API, without
MVC, without ...
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2answers
33 views
A boy didn't read every book
In my opinion, "A boy didn't read every book"is ambiguous, it can express"a boy didn't read any book" or "Not every book were read by the boy".Am I right?
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2answers
61 views
What is the meaning of the answer “I suppose so.” to the question “You won't be here tomorrow?”?
The following is an example from Swan's Practical English Usage (515.2)
You won't be here tomorrow?
I don't suppose so.
I understand the answer "I don't suppose so" is the same as
I don't ...
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1answer
39 views
“nothing ‘family values’” or “no ‘family values’”?
I have encountered the construction nothing something in Crash Course US history.
Also, he once acted with a monkey and there is nothing “family values” about that.
Should no have been used there ...
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2answers
29 views
Can 'but' be a substitute for 'and'?
Can we use 'but' to mean 'and'?
The animal was classified in that category, because people had a hard time classifying it, but (and, although people had a hard time classifying it, because) that ...
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3answers
214 views
“Not to” or “to not” [duplicate]
What is the difference between:
"I promise not to misbehave."
"I promise to not misbehave."
as in something a kid would say to convince its parents that it will behave well?
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1answer
67 views
Question tags negative or positive
How can we ask a question tag for the following questions? Negative or positive?
The boys problems are physical not mental,...?
They were warned not to climb the mountain in such bad weather, ......
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3answers
283 views
Can motivate be used as a negative word?
Can the word "motivate"be used in a negative situation?
For example,
"the Stamp Act motivated people to voice their opposition"
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1answer
57 views
Is there any verb that doesn't have negative form? [closed]
I'm wondering if a verb exists without a negative form. I mean if it does not have it at all or the negative form of it is somehow meaningless.
for example: "I killed him" and "I didn't kill him" are ...
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1answer
116 views
“The teacher didn't bore me to death”: Did the teacher bore me slightly, or did he not bore me at all?
When we place a negative word before expressions like bore to death, does it negate the word bore, therefore making boredom non-existent? Or does it negate the whole expression, making boredom ...
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1answer
39 views
Does “whether” need “or not” at the end here?
Should i add "or not" after this sentence ?
I want to know whether you would publish the results today.
I want to know whether you would publish the results today or not.
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1answer
20 views
What are the rules of forming structures with 'no'?
I cannot find information on the rules of forming structures with 'no' as in There is no milk ('no' + an uncountable noun). Thare are no bananas in the fridge ('no" + a plural countable noun).
I ...
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1answer
397 views
“Wouldn't have been necessary” or “would have been unnecessary?”
I've already made the decision to stick to "wouldn't have been necessary," but I wanted to double check. For a little more context, the full sentence is as follows:
She filled the printer with ...
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1answer
39 views
Making a sentence negative
I've seen the following negative sentences in an English book. Placing a negative auxiliary before the first verb seems to be the right way:
I don't think she'll pass the exam.
The baby's tired. I ...
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1answer
53 views
“Had not seen anyone” or “had not seen nobody”?
I am a research paper writer with more than 3 years of experience. In a recent story of mine, I have the sentence:
The girl had not seen anyone while she was walking a long and dark street.
Then, ...
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1answer
92 views
What is the difference between 'it's no time', 'it's not time' and 'it's not the time'?
Examples.
It's no time to stop believing. It's no time to be unsure.
It's not time to make a change, just relax, take it easy.
I don't think it's the time to start talking about the future, it's not ...
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1answer
39 views
“What do …have not to worry about?” vs. “…have to not worry about?”
Is it correct to ask:
What do people living in intelligent homes have not to worry about?
or:
What do people living in intelligent homes not have to worry about?
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1answer
36 views
“I can't do that, especially not in the house” vs “I can't do that, especially in the house.”
I can't do that, especially not in the house.
I can't do that, especially in the house.
Are both of these sentences grammatical/acceptable? What is the difference in meaning between them?
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1answer
41 views
Negation with an appositive containing multiple elements
I don't like the names Axel and Brook.
I don't like the names Axel or Brook.
I don't like the name Axel, and I don't like the name Brook.
I don't like the name Axel or the name Brook.
Which ...
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1answer
49 views
Can 'never' replace 'not'
She was never the same person Frank met before.
or:
She was not the same person Frank met before.
Is the two sentence exchangeable? Can the “never” replace the “not”?
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1answer
267 views
Why is “too” used in this negative sentence?
This is a news headline on CNN.
I was targeted during Nixon's administration. Trump shouldn't make an enemies list, too.
Why do they use "too", instead of " either" here? Isn't it a grammatical ...
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1answer
48 views
Sentence structure with a double negative
I’m having issues with a double negative sentence. Bear in mind I don't want to change the sentence structure around, I just want to know if at the end of the sentence, I put the word isn’t or is
...
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1answer
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Fix ambiguity in “You're Not Obligated to Work Until You're 30”
The sentence in the title has two, almost contradicting interpretations. (1) that you are not obligated to do the task "work until you're 30", or (2) you are not obligated to do the task "work" until ...
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2answers
58 views
What is “to like to be held and not to be handled” if it concerns pets? [closed]
How should I understand the last sentence?
Rabbits generally eat pellets and plenty of green vegetables; they will also eat hay. They like to be held but shouldn’t be handled too much the first few ...
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2answers
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cannot open any safe
a. I don't believe he's able to open any safe.
b. I don't believe he can open any safe.
Don't (a) and (b) have two meanings?
First meaning: I don't believe he's able to open just any safe.
...
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2answers
78 views
“I cannot speak French” vs “I do not speak French”
Which is better English?
I cannot speak French
Or
I do not speak French
Oxford Dictionaries tell me that can means: be able to through acquired knowledge or skill and also supply this ...
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2answers
2k views
not well-educated [closed]
Can one write
a. A group of not well-educated people are very happy with the new measures.
b. A group of people not well-educated are very happy with the new measures.
c. b. A group of people, not ...
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2answers
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“to not do” or “not to do”
Specifically with the following sentence, which is more suitable/correct?
You don't count on humans to not do things they're used to doing.
You don't count on humans not to do things they're ...
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1answer
1k views
Is “There will be no” valid in meaning of “There will not be”?
Yesterday I got a message that
"There will be no introduction lecture"
Now, I'm not sure if it's a mistake or it's another grammatical way to say
"There will not be a lecture".
If they are ...
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1answer
660 views
How would you say the Negation of “be supposed to”
How would you say the Negation of following sentences?
She is supposed to be happy.
It is supposed to be hard.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a off day.
He is supposed to be there.
He is supposed to know ...
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2answers
3k views
No student(s) was/were present
I don't know which of the two is grammatically correct or both are correct or the difference if they are both grammatically correct. Please teach me a correct English.
No student was present.
vs
...
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1answer
57 views
Does 'NOT' take some effect in this sentence?
a1. This theory is yet to be proven.
a2. This theory is not yet to be proven.
I feel both a1 and a2 denote the same meaning that this theory hasn't been proven yet and probably will be proven, ...
