Questions tagged [negation]
"Negation" is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite denial.
496
questions
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1answer
34 views
Did not I do it VS Was it not me who did it
I discovered something interesting, guys, look:
I did it
It's a usual sentence. We can negate "it" by:
1) I did not it
We can negate "did" by:
2) I did not do it
Also we can negate "I" by:
3) ...
2
votes
2answers
32 views
Not educated VS Uneducated
Is there any difference in
1) He is not educated
2) He is uneducated ?
And if there is no, is it possible to make negation with other words by putting "not" in front of them?
If you have different ...
2
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1answer
38 views
Why did not I do this sooner?
I read some philosophy stuff about life and found some text with such a sentence at the end:
Why did not I do this sooner?
Shouldn't it be
Why didn't I do this sooner?
Why did I not do this sooner?...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
Usage of “unless”
A: He just said he could help B. But right now, he doesn't seem willing
to help B.
B: You just said you wanted to help me. Oh, unless you weren't
being serious, which I would get. I have been ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
No. VS Not? He had a pen not a pencil
I know that we use not to negate a verb and we use no to negate a noun!
he had no pencil
Why do we use not in this sentence?
He had a pen not a pencil
Why don’t we use “no” ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Negation after the to-infinitive
Do the following sentences mean the same?
He seems to have not eaten for ages.
He does not seem to have eaten for ages.
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vote
1answer
25 views
Is this sentence considered a double negative “Neither scenario does not involve fractions.”? [closed]
Is this sentence considered a double negative "Neither scenario does not involve fractions." ?
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1answer
21 views
Is there any word for unlisten (negative of listen)?
I would like to know if is there any word for saying unlisten (not to listen).
Edit
I am working on some programming code where the author has named one function listen() and another one unlisten(). ...
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1answer
40 views
What's the negation of “Sooner or later”?
I find the following sentence in need for the "Sooner or later" but in its negative form.
The sentence:
This is what I don't intend in disclosing. Not sooner or later.
The speaker wants to ...
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2answers
28 views
Which is grammatically correct, “I'm no Lord Ram” or “I'm not Lord Ram”? Why?
I'm reading "Immortals of Meluha" and while reading I encounter a sentence that was delivered by Shiva, he said "I'm no Lord Ram". What I'm thinking is that he should have said "I'm not Lord Ram". ...
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1answer
28 views
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 a contrast by using ...not...but rather structure.
To negate the forepart proposition, should not we have to insert a "not" to make the part ...
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1answer
47 views
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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1answer
51 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
149 views
“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
47 views
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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vote
2answers
27 views
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
29 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
21 views
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 ...
2
votes
4answers
83 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 ...
0
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1answer
55 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
20 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?
0
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1answer
16 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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vote
3answers
37 views
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 ...
0
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1answer
73 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
83 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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2answers
113 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
“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 ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
165 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 ...
2
votes
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?
2
votes
2answers
65 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 ...
2
votes
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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vote
2answers
31 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 ...
0
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3answers
436 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?
0
votes
1answer
78 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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votes
3answers
300 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"
0
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1answer
58 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
136 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
42 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.
0
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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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vote
1answer
496 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 ...
1
vote
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
65 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, ...
0
votes
1answer
100 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 ...
1
vote
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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2answers
60 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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vote
1answer
44 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
50 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”?
0
votes
1answer
279 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
54 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
...
