Questions tagged [negation]
"Negation" is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite denial.
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"could have +past participle" and "couldn't have +past participle" meaning in Interrogative sentences
I know that "could have +past participle" and "couldn't have +past participle" have different meanings when we use them in Declarative sentences, but I think when we use them in Interrogative ...
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Are "I owe explanation to no one" and "I don't owe anyone any explanation" the same?
I get confused about using "not/don't" with "no one/anyone/anybody". I want to mean "I don't owe anyone any explanation" in short. Hence I used "I owe explanation to ...
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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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Using words "not" and "until" in the same sentence
For example, let's say someone said to me, "You did not need to wait until I was in the pool to hold me".
I believe this can translate to something like, "You did not need to wait to ...
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Is "Why not more?" a correct question?
Is Why not more? correct, or should it be Why no more?
What does it mean, then?
Why don't you want anymore of something?
Or the opposite:
Why not having some more of something?
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A: Nobody will oppose it. B: I should think not!
A: Nobody will oppose it.
B: I should think not!
What's the meaning of 'I should think not!'?
B thinks someone will oppose or not oppose?
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Do you want me to not go? or Do you not want me to go? or Don't you want me to go?
Do you want me to not go?
Do you not want me to go?
Don't you want me to go?
What's the correct way to ask if the other person doesn't want me to go? What is the difference between these three ...
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as Tom told him not to
Can sentences a, b and c be used instead of sentences a1, b1 and c1?
a. He didn't turn off the lights, as Tom told him to.
b. He didn't turn off the lights, since Tom told him to.
c. He didn't turn ...
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What is the meaning of "Not actually"?
For example, let's say Person A says "1 plus 1 is 3". Then Person B can either say "It's not 3, it's 2" or "It's actually 2".
What if Person B says "It's not ...
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how to use two negative verbs in a sentence
I wanna know how we can use two negative verbs in a sentence. I am not talking about double negative sentences like there is not no money and etc. let me express my mind by examples:
I want to ...
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Is there a difference in meanig between "as someone told you to" and "as someone told you"
a. You didn't come home late last night, as your Dad told you to.
b. You didn't come home late last night, as your Dad told you.
Do these mean:
Your Dad told you to come home late last ...
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Can 'can't V' always have the opposite meaning of 'must V'(inference)?
He has great calves. He must run very fast.
is a strong inference using 'must'.
Can the sentence using 'can't' always have the opposite meaning of 'must' (inference)?
You said he's faster than ...
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One negation used in one sentence with conjunction or two different clauses
I have a question with respect to English interpretation based on strict grammar rules not on context.
How would you interpret the following sentence: [The contract would not cancel and survive]?
...
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"Why can I not carry this?" or "Why cannot I carry this?" - which is the correct phrasing?
I'm playing a game and it doesn't let me pick up an item. At some point I asked "Why cannot I carry this?"
My friends are telling me my question is grammatically incorrect. I feel like it might be ...
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not different from
If two things are quite similar, you can say that one thing is not
very/much different from the other.
If two things are alike, you can say that one thing is no different from the other.
Don't say ...
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"be not a someone" vs. "Be no someone"? [duplicate]
Tell me please if there is any difference between the following sentences.
He is not a doctor to give health advice.
He is no doctor to give health advice
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"No" verses "not a" [duplicate]
From Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary.
No I didn't read your e-mail. I'm no snoop.
Can I say:
No I didn't read your e-mail. I'm not a snoop.
If I can, what's the differences between them?...
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Tom didn't call Sally because
a. Tom didn't call Sally because he likes her. He doesn't like her at all. He called her because he needed her help.
b. Tim says Jack called Sally because he likes her. That's not true. Jack didn't ...
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Are "I have no idea" and "I have no ideas" both correct, and if so, are they synonymous?
I am considering these two sentences:
I have no idea.
I have no ideas.
Are they both correct, and if so, are they synonymous?
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if not your intelligence
a. I admire your courage, if not your intelligence.
Does that mean
b. I admire your courage, but not your intelligence.
or
c. I admire your courage, although I am not sure whether I admire your ...
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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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Does "You need to not eat much so that you will not be fat" have the same idea as "You shouldn't eat much so that you will not be fat"?
All examples are mine:
(1) You should not eat much so that you will not be fat.
I want to use "need" and "not" in the first clause instead of "should" and "not",...
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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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can "not" substitute a negative independent clause
If I said, "I will dance in the production (pause and sigh) not because my mom wants me to..."
is "not" negating "because my mom wants me to" or is it serving as a ...
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"I should have never dropped my guard so you could <not> stab me in the back."
from a song:
(1) I should have never dropped my guard so you could stab me in the back.
my variant:
(2) I should have never dropped my guard so you couldn't stab me in the back.
As far as I understand,...
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Does "Aren't you a silly girl!" mean "You aren't a silly girl!"?
my example:
(1a) Are you a silly girl!
As I understand, (1a) means (1b):
(1b) You are a silly girl!
wordreference.com:
(2a) Aren't you a silly girl!
Am I right that, by analogy with (1a), (2a) means (...
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none has come up with
I want to know the meaning of the bold portion, please.
Also the meaning of the "come up with" and what is subject for the bold portion.
She has seen six doctors so far but none has come up with ...
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'she must NOT have made it' vs. 'she mustn't have made it' vs. 'she must have not made it'
In this passage there is a slight pause after 'must' and a stress on 'not':
'I saw Isabella she had a blank expression on her face. I'm not sure what happened with the knife she was carrying it looked ...
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the whereabouts of any given employee
a. I don't know the whereabouts of any given employee at any given time.
Does that mean
I am not suppose to know the whereabouts of any given employee at any given time.
or
I have no idea where any ...
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Why is the tag question positive in this dialogue from Downton Abbey? "Then we must be ready by tomorrow, must we?"
In this clip (2:28) of Downton Abbey you can hear Sybil saying:
Then we must be ready by tomorrow, must we?
Now, if she's using a tag question, why isn't she forming the negative?
Maybe I'm ...
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think I can do anything
a. I don't think I can do anything you want.
Can't this sentence mean two things?
a1. I think I can't do anything you want.
a2. I don't think I can't do just anything you want.
b. You're mistaken ...
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It's only the fool who becomes anything. - Why is "anything" used?
Why is the word "anything" used even though it cannot be used for affirmative sentences?
Why isn't it "something"?
I would say it like “It is only a fool who becomes something.”
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negative sentence + until
If I have a negative sentence + until and then another sentence, I can discern two (2) meanings (it's ambiguous). How can someone differentiate between the two (2)?
Example:
"Ten things that you ...
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What's the difference between "Was this supposed to be...” and “Wasn't this supposed to be…"?
Was this supposed to be ‘cupboard’ instead of ‘cupbard’?
Wasn’t this supposed to be ‘cupboard’ instead of ‘cupbard’?
I was asking about a spelling error and I was confused if I should use "was&...
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I have a question about question tags
Which sentence has correct question tag, and why?
There's little chance for me to win the game, isn't there?
There's little chance for me to win the game, is there?
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How to join more than two negative imperatives?
Don't run.
Don't talk loud.
When you unite the two sentences, which of the two below would be the more appropriate?
Don't run and talk loud.
Don't run or talk loud.
I have another question. How do ...
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What does "as you told me to" in negative sentence mean?
a. I didn't close the door, as you told me to.
Does that mean:
You told me to close the door and I didn't.
You told me not to close the door and I didn't.
How about:
b. I didn't close the door, as ...
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The meaning of "not because". Could it have two meanings?
I don't like him because he is rich.
Could it be interpreted in two ways?
I dislike him because he is rich. (I don't like rich people.)
The reason why I like him is not the fact that he is rich. (I ...
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*Actually not, it's the other way round.* or *Actually, no, it's the other way round.*
Are "actually not" and "actually, no" interchangeable in any context?
FOR EXAMPLE:
Tom: The Sun rotates around Earth
Steve: Actually not, it's the other way round. or Actually, no, ...
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What is the difference between "I'm not something" and "I'm no something" [duplicate]
In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars tv series, when the character Ahsoka Tano is leaving the Jedi Order, she says:
I'm no Jedi.
Would the phrase "I´m not a Jedi any more" be the correct one?
...
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"as well" in a negative sentence
Is it correct to use "as well" to give an additional condition for which something is not happening?
Example:
[sentence explaining that no solution exists] if the function is linear. For a ...
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Are sentences containing "never" affirmative or negative?
Maybe this is a silly question: can be the sentence "I have never seen Singapore" be considered negative?
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Is contracting "I have not been" as "I've not been" idiomatic?
Is it idiomatic to contract I have not as I've not instead of I haven't in the present perfect?
For example:
I have not been to Canada.
As
I've not been to Canada.
He has not ridden a camel.
As
He's ...
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·What does the second sentence in this paragraph mean?
"If people had invested their money in antiques 20 years ago, they would have found it difficult to make a profit on their investment until very recently. So people who cannot afford for their ...
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Do these sentences have the same meaning: "I don't think he is a student." and "I think he is not a student."
1-"I don't think he is student."
2- "I think he is not a student."
The speaker has the opinion that "he is not a student". But in order to say this in English, we make up ...
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Modals for speculations or logical deductions
Can you, please, help to choose the correct variant?
The person on the right in the picture might not/can't/must not be who you say it is.
The answer key says that it is must not, but I have never ...
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Is "should" or "shouldn't" appropriate in this sentence?
The concept is that whatever is being asked, is negated when expressing uncertainty or confirmation from the recipient.
You do know what's up, don't you?
They won't show up, will they?
But what if ...
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Negation after "but"
I would like to ask which option sounds more natural/common/idiomatic to you.
1a. The hat looks red but the bag does not.
1b. The hat looks red but the bag not.
Similarly, could you please also ...
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Rephrasing a sentence with negation and "except"
I don't look as if I have done anything except study in the last three years.
I guess its meaning is two fold
In fact, there is only one thing that have been done which is "study in the last ...
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"... but one (of them) is not a nickel." - Why is that a riddle?
Few days ago I've been told about a riddle as can be seen in this episode of Scrubs:
Two coins add up to 30 cents and one of them is not a nickel.
So, what are they?
It's a riddle. You'll figure it ...
