Questions tagged [negation]
"Negation" is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite denial.
508
questions
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1answer
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How to use 'not'? Can you use 'not' after a verb?
Can you use not after a verb? Is there a correct way to use not? Are these examples correct/ interchangeable? If not what is the difference?
Speak not against my father / do not speak against my ...
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1answer
18 views
looks not easy, seems not easy
Are these sentences correct?
It looks not easy.
It seems not easy.
Or do I need to say like these?
It doesn't look easy.
It doesn't seem easy.
0
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1answer
19 views
Meaning of “no <things> must/should […]”
I want to write a code comment that means "every line in this file must be shorter than N". I wrote this:
No line in this file shall be longer than N
...then considered using "must", which is more ...
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1answer
25 views
subject verb agreement. It's you, not Tom, who is/are to blame for what happened
It's you, not Tom, who is/are to blame for what happened.
The model answer here is "is". When I search for the reason, I come across a rule as follows. Then I am totally confused. Why does this rule ...
0
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2answers
42 views
How to use the adjective “absent”?
Can the adjective "absent" which has a negative meaning to it be used with the phrase "there is" or "there are" as, in their affirmative form, these are meant to assert the presence and not the ...
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2answers
67 views
How to use“ everyone” or “everybody” in a negative sentence with verb “be”?
When checking if all the students are present in a class, may the teacher ask "Is everybody/everyone here today?" or "Is everyone/everybody present today?"
And if not so, must the students reply "No, ...
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vote
2answers
32 views
so much not alike [closed]
a. Those twins are so not alike.
b. Those twins are so much not alike.
c. He was so not in a hurry.
d. He was so much not in a hurry.
(Meaning of (c) and (d): He was not in a hurry at all.)
Are ...
0
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1answer
27 views
Negative with subjunctive in that clause
I was wondering, why exactly is it correct to use "not" without a helping word instead of "do not" with the subjunctive in the negative after the "that" clause, after words like "suggest" or "...
0
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1answer
40 views
Difference between not and don't in the next sentence [closed]
“In the period we not enter, Romanticism, the Account became the
preeminent formula for literary production.”
In the sentence above, does the ‘not’ make sense? Should I use ‘don’t’ instead?
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0answers
27 views
Meaning of “I will not kill you due to your talent”
What is the meaning of:
I will not kill you due to your talent.
Does that mean:
[I will not kill you] [due to your talent].
Because you are talented, I will not kill you.
[I will not] [kill you ...
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vote
1answer
37 views
Is contraction obligatory in negative interrogative sentences?
I know that a verb and "not" are usually contracted when together in a negative interrogative sentence. Example:
Aren't they lovely?
Is it grammatically wrong to avoid the contraction? Example:
...
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1answer
37 views
Questions with “do” vs. “do not” — is “not” required?
I read an example of the term "ipso facto" in Merriam Webster Dictionaries which was:
If we refuse to tolerate bigotry, do we become, ipso facto, as intolerant as those whom we condemn.
I think ...
0
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2answers
644 views
not all vs all not
First, I know that "not all" is partial negation. For example, "not all the numbers are 0" means there may be a number that is nonzero.
And to me, a non-native speaker of English, it seems that "all ...
0
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1answer
53 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
133 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
votes
2answers
54 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
29 views
Usage of “unless” [closed]
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 ...
2
votes
2answers
57 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” ...
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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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1answer
30 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." ?
0
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1answer
31 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(). ...
0
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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 ...
0
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2answers
64 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". ...
0
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1answer
30 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
69 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
56 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 ?
0
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2answers
558 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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votes
2answers
50 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
35 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-...
0
votes
2answers
41 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 ...
2
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4answers
93 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
58 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
0
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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
votes
1answer
20 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
41 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
113 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
152 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?
0
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2answers
169 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
85 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
42 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
244 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
35 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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votes
2answers
97 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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2answers
38 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
2k 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
102 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
336 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 ...
