Questions tagged [negation]
"Negation" is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite denial.
687
questions
1
vote
3
answers
946
views
How to confine the negative scope?
She is not beautiful.
There are two explanations:
It is a negative sentence. She/ is not / beautiful.
"not" is an adverb which modifies "is";
It is an affirmative sentence. She/ ...
- 4,724
4
votes
4
answers
75k
views
Use of “never” with “have”
I have a question regarding the use of negation:Is the following sentence grammatically correct?
I never been have a good English.
- 49
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Present Perfect Contracted Negative Forms such as "He hasn't" vs "He's not" + (past participle, been+present participle)
In the following set of pairs, the first part of the pair is the standard negative form of contraction.
Are they ever heard of in conversations? If yes, are they as acceptable as the standard ...
- 5,918
1
vote
1
answer
35k
views
"would not have been happened" vs "would have not been happened"
Can you please explain me the difference in meanings between these two sentences?
This would not have been happened if you were not there at that time.
This would have not been happened if you ...
4
votes
6
answers
2k
views
"No more than" — comparing two clauses
I came across this sentence today:
Even she, who believed herself to be a revolutionary, could no more have broken her marital bangles than she could have driven a stake through her husband's heart....
- 10.8k
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What does this "too to" mean here?
They are too imaginary not to be false.
What does this mean?
It is so complicated.
My theory is "too imaginary to be real."
user2492
10
votes
6
answers
51k
views
"Not I" or "Not me"?
After asking about “me” for answering a question. at Answering a question with "Me" instead of "I" + <auxiliary verb>, I think I understand how to use “me” for answering a ...
- 2,463
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Nothing / Anything
Two people don't seem to have anything in common, and I need to ask if this is actually true or not.
Should I say...
'Do they really have nothing in common?'
or
'Do they really have anything in ...
- 113
2
votes
2
answers
27k
views
What is the meaning of this "could have been more?"
What does this mean?
Does this mean..."someone else was very nationalistic and no other person could have been more so?"
No person could have been more nationalistic.
The reason I asked is that I ...
user2492
0
votes
1
answer
67
views
What are the ranges of these negations?
Days later. A week. Two. I don’t know. After Denny’s deflation, time meant little to me; he looked sickly, he had no energy, no life force, and so neither did I. At a point when my hips still bothered ...
- 24k
1
vote
1
answer
602
views
How do I understand this 'have to' example combined with negation?
I’ve read CGEL says have to has three meanings: deontic, dynamic, and epistemic (p205) But when it comes to a negation example below, it’s not easy what to take from the three. How do I understand ...
- 24k
1
vote
3
answers
19k
views
Using "hasn't he" in question tags
I read about question tags, and they give this example:
He has a book, hasn't he?
I think that using doesn't he? would be more logical and in accordance to modern grammar.
Because I cannot say "He ...
- 7,206
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
I don't want her to go
Dynamic modality
This is expressed by such verb as intend, want, etc. As noted earlier, negation of medium modality tends to be interpreted more specifically as internal negation, e.g. I don’t want ...
- 24k
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
The use of 'no good' and 'not good' in this context
This radio is no good. It does not work properly.
This radio is not good. It does not work properly.
Which sentence is proper? Can anyone give other such instances?
- 65.8k
5
votes
3
answers
3k
views
negation of "must"
You mustn’t eat it all. [i] You needn’t eat it all. [ii]
CGEL says “In [i] the negative applies to the eating, not the modal
obligation: “It is necessary that you not eat it all”; it is thus
...
- 24k
1
vote
1
answer
282
views
"Ain't no ",Is this not a double negation [duplicate]
I have heard this song ,"Ain't no party like a chipmunk party" ,there is a negation in the word Ain't itself, why we need to use no after that .Aren't those two negations cancelling out ?
3
votes
1
answer
7k
views
"Why is it not red?" or "Why isn't it red?"
If I want to ask the reason why something is not red, which sentence is the correct one?
"Why is it not red?" or
"Why isn't it red?"
Thank you!
Tung Nguyen
3
votes
1
answer
10k
views
"I cannot say anything else" vs. "I cannot say nothing else"
a) I cannot say anything else.
b) I cannot say nothing else.
Are a) and b) both correct in this example?
Yes, I cannot say anything/nothing else, because I did not notice anything/nothing else.
...
user114
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
What does "or" mean in this sentence?
I'm confused by the meaning of or in this sentence:
Encryption poses a problem for intelligence agencies by scrambling data with a secret code so that even if they, or any other third-party, manages ...
user2492
2
votes
3
answers
147
views
placing NOT problem
In the sentence
Yes, at least financially speaking, your opinion sounds right, even if ...
is grammatically right adding not this way
Yes, at least financially not speaking, your opinion ...
Welly
19
votes
7
answers
346k
views
Difference between "won't" and "will not"
What's the differences between won't and will not? Do they have the exact same meaning in all contexts?
If not, I would really appreciate some examples.
- 525
4
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Ain't and negatives
I am puzzled with the use of ain't. I know its meaning, and also know it is pretty informal. But I see it used in several ways, some I think of as conflicting.
See the following examples
I ain't ...
- 141
3
votes
1
answer
302
views
Difference between "no" and "not"
Please tell me which of the following sentence is correct and why?
It is no good asking him for help.
It is not good asking him for help.
Please explain the usage of no and not. Are they ...
user45910
8
votes
2
answers
18k
views
Should I use "not" or "don't"?
Let's not make a big deal out of it.
Let's don't make a big deal out of it.
You are just trying to make us not practice.
You are just trying to make us don't practice.
Should I use "not" or "don't"?...
- 1,343
1
vote
2
answers
434
views
Rephrasing “There was not enough commitment on my part or John's.”
(migrated from https://english.stackexchange.com/)
Are the following all correct and semantically equivalent? And even if they are, which ones are preferred and why?
There was not enough commitment ...
- 121
4
votes
4
answers
21k
views
When to use "am not" and "do not" in a sentence
"I don't know what I'd do without you"
"I'm not know what I'd do without you"
Are these sentences correct?
What are the rules to use "not" in a sentence?
To what is not ...
- 1,343
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Converting from "too" to "enough"
I have this sentence:
It is too hot to handle.
How do I rewrite it using enough in place of too? Is the following right? Is there some other possibility?
It is not cold enough to handle.
What is ...
- 645
13
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What does the phrase '2000-never' mean?
I came across this phrase today in a rather humorous column:
The last time I did [something] ... was 2000-never.
I've never seen this construct before. My guess is, that this means, the author did ...
- 549
2
votes
1
answer
152
views
What’s the full sentence for ‘no’?
“If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own
conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be
without friends.” “No; I know I should think well of ...
- 24k
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to choose a proper contraction "it's not" versus "it isn't"?
I'm aware that both it's not and it isn't are contractions of the same phrase, it is not.
Till today, I was convinced that choosing them depends on desired emphasis. This way, choosing it's not ...
- 8,025
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
There is[n't] nowhere I'd rather be than here with you [duplicate]
A. There isn't nowhere I'd rather be than here with you.
B. There is nowhere I'd rather be than here with you.
Elsewhere I have read that two negatives in English destroy one another, although they ...
user114
32
votes
7
answers
4k
views
How is double negation interpreted in English?
In my native language, double negations "cancel out". I have been trying to learn English using movies and such things, but double negation confuses me. I see instances when double negation cancels ...
user207
7
votes
4
answers
13k
views
"If not, why?" vs. "If not, why not?"
If Oscar Wilde was right, or partially right, what are the reasons? If not, why not?
If Oscar Wilde was right, or partially right, what are the reasons? If not, why?
Is "not" needed after &...
user114
6
votes
4
answers
27k
views
What's the difference between "either" and "neither"? [closed]
What's the difference between either and neither?
Can you provide me some examples?
user47
4
votes
2
answers
13k
views
"I'll not" vs "I won't" - when is which preferred?
I know these two common contractions:
I'll enjoy it
I won't enjoy it
I wonder: can one use the first one with a negative?
I'll not enjoy it.
Is this correct?
If so, when/how would one use it? ...
- 10.1k
96
votes
11
answers
353k
views
What is the difference between “nope” and “no”?
What is the difference caused by using “nope” instead of ”no”?
Is it used because “nope” sounds better and not straight like “no”? In some situations, it feels like nope is better to use than no even ...
- 1,071
34
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How can I negate or confirm a question tersely using negation?
From a logical point of view, the answer no negates the negation, and yes confirms it.
But how would a native speaker react when s/he asked "Don't you love me any more?" and answered yes or ...
- 5,770