Questions tagged [polarity-items]
The polarity-items tag has no usage guidance.
23
questions
6
votes
1
answer
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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.”
- 415
1
vote
2
answers
110
views
Would dream of ( in a positive clause)
But you are very welcome for my having given you my time, not that you would ever dream of taking the trouble to say "thank you" after I have gone the trouble of helping you and correcting ...
- 1,497
0
votes
1
answer
23
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Using at all in a positive sentence that is not a conditional
I've done a quick-search regarding this problem and found this interesting discussion. The sentence is:
This dangerous message has two parts. The first is that ‘learning’ can
be ‘delivered’ at all – ...
- 4,980
0
votes
1
answer
39
views
(very) few and negative polarity items
The negative polarity item ever normally occurs with interrogative or negative sentences:
a. *John has ever been to Japan. (unacceptable)
b. Has John ever been to Japan? (acceptable)
Now consider ...
- 5,894
0
votes
1
answer
99
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Negative polarity item 'any' & Positive polarity item 'some'
In the book that I'm now reading, it says that the sentence
(1) "Only two of us had some experience in sailing"
is ungrammatical, because 'only' has negative meaning, so the positive ...
- 71
2
votes
1
answer
5k
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Which is grammatically correct in English? Don't forget to write one, too. or Don't forget to write one, either?
A. Let's make a birthday cake for her.
B. Good idea. I'll write her a card. Don't forget to write one, too/either.
A. I won't.
- 79
1
vote
2
answers
2k
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What's wrong with this sentence, and how can I write it correctly?
I need to identify the mistake in the following sentence:
I don't like football and so does Michael.
What's wrong with this sentence. And why?
- 528
1
vote
1
answer
664
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What would be the connotative meaning of "deeply grounded in tradition"?
What would be the connotative meaning of "deeply grounded in tradition”?
I have looked on various searches and sites and haven't been able to find anything. I have to find an example of denotative ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
801
views
Why is it that 'too' cannot be used in agreement to negative sentences?
I think the reason for it should be from the scope of negation.
Let's read this conversation:
A: I don't want to eat the pizza.
B: Me too.
To me, it does not make sense, because without a comma ...
- 2,526
1
vote
0
answers
59
views
Usage of 'any' before more and comparative degrees
Could anyone please tell me what is the role of any in this sentence and can I leave out any in the sentence?
I love to read books. I have books of many writers. I have a book named 'Gitanjali' ...
- 361
4
votes
2
answers
84
views
Do you say 'Tokyo has much rain'?
It rains a lot in Tokyo.
We/They have much rain in Tokyo.
There is much rain in Tokyo.
Tokyo has much rain.
I don't think 4 is correct or at least I've never heard it.
However, some teacher ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
14k
views
"I see nothing " vs "I don't see nothing"
As far as I understand, both of these sentences imply that the speaker is unable to see anything.
Is one sentence more correct than the other or can they be used interchangeably everywhere?
Also, ...
- 790
3
votes
1
answer
302
views
Do native speakers use double negatives in order to mean positive situations REALLY
I stumbled upon VOA (Voice Of America)'s video about the use of the combination of either/or and neither/nor.
Well, the guy in the video says, the double negatives, as he says, the sentence such as
...
user17814
2
votes
1
answer
129
views
What kind of impact the word 'yet' has on the sentence?
What kind of impact the word 'yet' has on the sentence or is there no impact at all and can we even omit 'yet' without losing the meaning (context) of the sentence?
Current version includes a range ...
- 1,626
-1
votes
1
answer
1k
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"He gets away with anything."
Can someone tell me why "anything" is used in sentences like this
He gets away with anything.
I thought it had to be "everything" meaning the person can do whatever they want without worrying ...
- 1,034
3
votes
2
answers
672
views
What about the usage of "any" and "no"?
I taught my students that they can use any in questions with abstract countable nouns. Was I right? For example:
Do you have any idea? (idea = abstract but countable)
Do you have any reason to do ...
- 81
3
votes
4
answers
199
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The usage of "ever"
I'm not actually a language learner myself, I'm actually an English language teacher, but I want to put together some information for my students regarding some of the difficulties they often face.
I'...
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3
votes
2
answers
15k
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"Neither Mary nor John eat (eats?) beef" - singular or plural after 'neither .. nor'? [duplicate]
Neither Mary nor John eat beef.
Neither Mary nor John eats beef.
Which is grammatically correct?
- 1,805
2
votes
1
answer
3k
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He has been working on the problem for a long time but is still/yet not able to solve it
Sentence improvement:
He has been working on the problem for a long time but is still not able to solve it.
I believe this sentence is correct. But the answer to of this question is to place yet ...
- 1,555
3
votes
2
answers
5k
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May I use 'both' with a negative --"Both didn't go"?
Both didn't go.
Is it a correct sentence?
Actually, I have read that both is not usually used in a negative clause. Use a clause with neither instead.
- 2,597
3
votes
3
answers
1k
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Anymore in Affirmative Sentences
Do you use anymore in the meaning of "no longer" only in negative or interrogative sentences? Will it be grammatical, if I use that adverb in the affirmative sentence?
I see no possibility of ...
user18856
9
votes
3
answers
11k
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Is the sentence "Paul drinks much milk" grammatically correct or not?
I'm doing my homework. The question is
Is this sentence
‘Paul drinks much milk.’
grammatically correct?
For me the answer is yes, because the quantifier "much" is used before non-count ...
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10
votes
3
answers
581
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Using 'anyone' in affirmative contexts - Is "he just wanted to kill anyone" grammatical?
I've just stumbled across this article in the Japan Times:
SAITAMA – Police, who are interrogating a 20-year-old college student from Saitama Prefecture on suspicion of stabbing to death a 21-year-...
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