Questions tagged [negation]
Negation is the process that turns an affirmative statement (e.g. "I am American") into its opposite denial (e.g. "I am not American").
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Noun clause in negative form
My question is about noun clause in the negative form.
So here is the sentence:
But what you can do is don't give up.
Can I use the negative form (don't) in the second part of the sentence? And if so, ...
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2answers
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Can I use 'out of this world' negatively in a sentence
Can I say " their stupidity is out of this world. Its kinda amusing" ? And what are the other ways to say it
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1answer
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Sentences beginning with “I do not think (that)” vs. “I think (that) + negation”
Among the following sentences (assuming they are all grammatically correct, and hopefully seem natural to native speakers as well):
I do not think the overwhelming majority of the countries in the ...
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1answer
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About the remote “not”
Not a native English speaker.
I noticed for a long time now some speakers use a second sentence consisting of a single word, "not", as a way to entirely negate the former sentence and ...
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1answer
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“would we not” vs. “wouldn't we” in questions
Is there a difference between the following two sentences? Is the second sentence grammatically wrong?
Why would we not expect the body to revolt?
Why wouldn't we expect the body to revolt?
Is it ...
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1answer
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As -1+1=0 in mathematics, so it does in English? [closed]
For example, there are two following statements together: 'A doesn't play soccer.' (-1) and 'A plays soccer' (1). To sum it up (0), are saying two statements (-1+1=0) same with saying no statements (0)...
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4answers
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Is “Not that we would have expected anything else, of course” sound?
In the GSMArena article Xiaomi denies any ties to the Chinese military in response to being blacklisted by the US, "would have" is used:
Today Xiaomi has issued the following statement on ...
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2answers
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I don't know how to understand this sentence ' it seems inconceivable that at least one of these planets does not have a life form on it'
the full context is like this:
However,when we look at the 100 billion stars in our galaxy(the Milky Way),and 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe,it seems inconceivable that at least one ...
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What should I respond when someone ends their sentence with ',no?' [duplicate]
How should I respond when someone ends their sentence with ', no?'.
I can see this going two ways:
No
yes: yes to the no.
no: no to the no.
Example:
Q:
your day was good, no?
A:
No, it was good
...
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3answers
177 views
“I did not go out because it was raining”—how could one disambiguate this sentence? [closed]
"I did not go out because it was raining" is ambiguous, with at least two interpretations.
It could simply mean I did not go out because it was raining (and, therefore, a bad time to head ...
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1answer
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Sentences with two verbs with the second verb negative [duplicate]
I have a problem with these sentences. They have two verbs and the second verb is negative.
Where should not go?
try to not waste food
try not to waste food
and
try to not take it personally
try ...
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1answer
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What does this answer to a negative question mean?
A: So, no party tonight?
B: No, there is a lot of discussion.
Is B saying there is no party?
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0answers
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Can I show my opinion in negative interrogative?
I believe
It is not safe to let strangers in.
How do I ask people and find out if they have the same opinion as me?
Is it safe to let strangers in?: It feels like to me that I have no opinion.
Isn't ...
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0answers
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How to say the interrogative form with a base form of a verb ..in English? [duplicate]
In French language, I will say
"Comment ne pas être repéré".
But I want to translate it into English.
Do we say "How to not be spotted" or "How not to be spotted"?
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1answer
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Meaning of “lack of impunity”
This passage comes from the book Civil–Military Relationships in Developing Countries by Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi:
Finally, this chapter will also look at the ensuing problems
Indonesian democracy faces ...
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1answer
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Opposite of disappointed
The opposite of like is dislike. The opposite of assemble is disassemble. So here, “dis” is a prefix that acts as a negation.
Why is the opposite of “I’m disappointed in you” not “I’m appointed in you”...
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What is it about this statement?
This phrase "came to me" when I awoke from a dream (there's a reason why, based on the dream, but it's not relevant):
Not catching a ball is not a crime.
A rather simple sentence, and easy ...
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1answer
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Help conjugating
A funny guy on twitter made this post:
"waaah society doesnt make sense" As opposed to what? foraging? "euhheuuhuh we are not hard wired for city life" a neighboring chieftain just ...
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0answers
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Term for this type of negation: “Not for X I don't”
You got any more pot?
Not for $9 an hour I don't.
What is this type of negation called? These are the lines from a movie script. I've come across this sentence structure quite a few times but I know ...
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1answer
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Is it grammatically right? [duplicate]
If I don't love him because he is tall, is he tall or not, according to context?
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Preposition change like “depend on” -> “independent of”
I'd like to know if, in English, there are more cases when the preposition changes for the negation (or eventually with some other change of gramatical context), the same or similar to "on" -...
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When do I answer negative questions (e.g. “Aren't you…?”) with “yes” or “no”? [duplicate]
I want to know how to answer negative questions. For example, take the following example:
Q: "Aren't you supposed to be there at 7? You don't have time."
A: "No, I can make it on time.&...
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0answers
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The meaning of Let us not or Do not let us
As far as I know, the negatives of Let us are Let us not and Do not let us. And Let us has two different meaning: one is a suggestion and the other is an imperative. Then doesn't Let us not or Do not ...
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1answer
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“neither… nor”
Is this sentence correct?
You will not be allowed to do neither the non-graded nor the graded assignment of week one unless you complete this activity.
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Is there a term for an past-tense adjective that implies transformation (e.g., “melted ice”)?
Recently, someone objected to my use of the terms "melted ice" and "condensed steam," saying that those materials are no longer ice and steam, respectively. I agreed and said that ...
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Inversion is not used after “not far/long”
Page 271 of Practical English Usage reads
Inversion is not used after "not far/long" so we say Not far from
here you can see foxes, or
Not long after that she got married
Why don't these ...
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0answers
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“I couldn't totally understand it” Can this be sentence partial negation or complete negation? or Both?
"I couldn't totally understand it" Can this be sentence partial negation or complete negation? or Both?
This sentence can be said to mean - complete negation?
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“Not to watch” vs “Not to have watched” as subject of a sentence [duplicate]
E.g. 1 Not to watch Kobe Bryant's matches when he was alive is my biggest regret.
£.g. 2 Not to have watched Kobe Bryant's matches when he was alive is my biggest regret.
Am I right that e.g. 1 is not ...
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1answer
32 views
I will call somebody else, not neither him nor you
I have a sentence
I will call neither you nor him
I guess it means
I won't call neither you nor him
Out of it it's not clear whether I will call anyone at all but I want to say that I will call but ...
0
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1answer
413 views
When is it more correct to say 'did not' and when 'didn't'?
I noticed multiple times, when writing in Microsoft Word that the program suggests a correction, from either form to the other.
I can't seem to follow the logic.
When is it better to say did not, ...
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1answer
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Punctuating lists containing negative elements
I came across some sentences similar to these:
I would like my burger with no mustard, jalapeños, lettuce, and pickles.
I would like my burger with mustard, no jalapeños, lettuce, and pickles.
I can'...
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Can't have drunk VS Isn't able to have drunk VS Wasn't able to have drunk
I found a good sentence:
She can't have drunk that much coffee
It seems to be correct. Why isn't the next thing correct then if "can" and "be able" can mean the same thing?
She isn't able to have ...
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0answers
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“these functions are strictly non-decreasing, whereas the others ARE”, or “these functions are strictly non-decreasing, whereas the others DO”?
Should I say
"these functions are strictly non-decreasing, whereas the others ARE.",
- or -
"these functions are strictly non-decreasing, whereas the others DO." ?
Related, but not similar:
...
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1answer
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How to interpret the use of adverbs with conjugate clauses?
I wanted to clarify how an adverb (usually preceding) affects the clauses connected by a conjunction.
Consider the dictionary meaning of the word oblique. The New Oxford Dictionary of American ...
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1answer
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Can you ask questions ending with “are you/do you/did you etc.”?
Tired, are you?
Cold outside, is it?
Seen him around, have you?
See her, did you?
These sentences might not be grammatical, but I'd like to know if they would be frowned upon.
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1answer
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What is the technical difference between “Don't” and “Do not” and “Aren't” and “Are not” in a question? [duplicate]
When asking a question in English, it's common to use the contraction "don't" or "aren't." At the same time, though, you can also use "do not" and "are not"
For example, you can say "Aren't you ...
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Uncommon subjunctive inversion in a negative clause in the pluperfect: “had not millions been swept away”
Voters in 2008 would have seen he didn’t measure up then, had not millions been swept away with emotion and wish-fulfillment. (source)
This line reads odd even jarring to me with a weird inversion ...
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0answers
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Effect of negative statement after the conjuction 'and'
I just read the following statement,
100% Administrator Trust
Administrators have and will never have access to any unencrypted data.
I am sure that author wanted to imply that (1) Administrators ...
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1answer
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“he has almost nothing” or “he hasn't almost anything”?
So, I'm helping a friend of mine who has just started learning English.
He wants to say "He has almost nothing to eat in his cupboards" using the negative form. Is "he hasn't almost anything to eat ...
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1answer
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“no license is defined …” or “no licenses are defined …”
Should I say "no license is defined for ..." or "no licenses are defined for ..."? If both are correct, which are preferable?
A quick internet search shows the former is used more frequently. Yet, ...
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2answers
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How to use don't mind + negative
I am really confused about how to use don't mind in negative sentences. Which one is correct?
I can understand you, if you don't mind not speaking so fast.
I can understand you, if you don't mind ...
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1answer
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How to answer the inquiry: “Please confirm that you are not working for another company”
I got the following prompt.
Please confirm that you are currently not working for another company in this field.
If I am not working for any other company, should I choose "Yes" or "...
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1answer
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Can I omit the “neither” in a neither/nor construction? [duplicate]
Considering this sentence:
Something was awry but neither Alice nor Bob knew what.
Can I omit the neither here?
Something was awry but Alice nor Bob knew what.
It sounds reasonable, but I ...
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2answers
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Why is “I didn't mean to, not miss it” incorrect?
I know someone who initially typed the phrase, "I didn't mean to not miss it." After I pointed out that this had a double negative, he corrected this to "I didn't mean to, not miss it"
I believe this ...
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0answers
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“not so useful as” vs “not as useful as” [duplicate]
I do not understand whether the first or the second sentence is correct, or perhaps both?
No other metal is so useful as iron.
No other metal is as useful as iron.
Although the latter feels ...
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3answers
509 views
Interpretation of “For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.” [closed]
Regarding the poem "The Snow Man" by Wallace Stevens, can anyone please help me interpret the last stanza, the part marked in bold here?
One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the ...
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0answers
69 views
“It has not been unchanged.” Is that a valid sentence? [duplicate]
Do I have to understand the sentence:
It has not been unchanged
.. as if the related subject actually changed, or whether there has been no change at all? In short, is this a double negative?
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1answer
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Is the usage “all … are not” always the same as “not all … are”?
Is it true that both the following lines are identical in English?
All dogs are animals. All animals are not dogs.
All dogs are animals. Not all animals are dogs.
In some other languages, (1) and (2)...
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1answer
70 views
“Not” after a statement that is not a joke
Is it valid to use Not after a statement to negate it in joke style when we are not trying to joke but making a point?
Eg., Yes, what you said totally makes sense. Not!
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Where, in English, is the simple* negation enjoyed by the rest of the world's peoples?
I have a smattering of exposure to several languages, and it appears to me that many languages allow a simpler* negation than we usually use in English. They allow the insertion of a word like no or ...
