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improved formatting, reduced bolding, added very interesting explanatory note which the OP left in a comment
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Mari-Lou A
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Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad"very bad (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad"bad (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad"not good, not bad (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good"good (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good"very good (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct? Is that correct?

For example. In my native language "not very good" can rarely mean "good" but "very not good" means "very bad". So it confuses me what "not" really negates "very" or "good"?

For example, I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English""I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all""I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • very bad (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • bad (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • not good, not bad (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • good (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • very good (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is that correct?

In my native language "not very good" can rarely mean "good" but "very not good" means "very bad". So it confuses me what "not" really negates "very" or "good"?

For example, I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

deleted 5 characters in body
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ABEgorov
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Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very good).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very good).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

added 530 characters in body
Source Link
ABEgorov
  • 23
  • 1
  • 4

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very good).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

Here is my current understanding of these English phrases:

  • "very bad" (=not good at all, =not very good);
  • "bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not very bad);
  • "not good, not bad" (=not good at all, =not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "good" (=not very good, =not bad at all, =not very bad);
  • "very good" (=not bad at all, =not very bad).

Is it correct?

For example. I understand the phrase "I am not very good at English" in such way that it can mean any one of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English;
  • I am good at English (but not very good).

And I understand the phrase "I am not good at English at all" in such way that it can be any of these:

  • I am very bad at English;
  • I am bad at English;
  • I am OK at English.

Is my understanding correct or both phrases actually mean "I am very bad at English"?

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