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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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0 answers
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Negative "not" in the clause [migrated]

Is there any difference between clauses below? Wouldn't he help you? Would he not help you? I saw the second clause in the PS1 game "Front mission 3". I sometimes think that games are not ...
Александр Скворцов's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
79 views

"X not Y" structures [closed]

I frequently hear sentences like the following in spoken English, but rarely see this written. "The tree fell on my brother's car, not my father's car." "I ordered steak, not lobster.&...
WilsonT's user avatar
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0 answers
34 views

Using not with both, either, neither: word choice when expressing negation of two options [migrated]

In a sentence responding negatively to multiple statements or questions, which of the following ways sounds best and has the least grammatical error? He didn’t do both. He didn’t do either. He didn’t ...
NahZ1ky's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
64 views

What follows "not either"? "Or" or "nor"? [duplicate]

Consider the following sentence: I haven't heard from either you, (n)or her. If I started my sentence with "I have heard from neither you" then the "nor" would follow. My doubts ...
NPS's user avatar
  • 601
6 votes
1 answer
827 views

Is "don't" a particle of its own?

I noticed an oddity in the sentence Why don't you just do it?: Although I always thought of don't simply as of a short form of do not it seems to me as if this is not the case in this sentence. ...
Jonathan Herrera's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
391 views

archaic term for the word not

What is the archaic term for who is not? or words like not and do not or how to make phrases in archaic way that includes “not” does term such exist? like this, **i am not aware ** thee brought all ...
meccha's user avatar
  • 3
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

The correct negative form (past participle)

I've been searching the answer to my question wherever it is possible, but I haven't managed to get the strict rule (or guideline) for it. As we know the negative form of the past participle is ...
Deeo's user avatar
  • 63
0 votes
0 answers
60 views

Do Interrogative Negative forms in the simple present tense imply only two situations?

Is it correct to say that, in English, when you use the Present Simple tense in the Interrogative Negative form you are either implying the negative or just confirming the affirmative (depending on ...
MD11's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
2 answers
223 views

What's the meaning of "not no small feat"? [closed]

I didn't understand meaning of "not no small feat" in this sentence: I want y'all to meet Deltron Zero, hero, not no small feat. From Deltron 3030's song 3030 Verse 1, 2nd line I know what ...
Walter Bishop's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
67 views

What is a name for a modifier that changes the meaning of a word, rather than refining it? [duplicate]

My question, right up front, is: what is the term for a modifier that behaves this way? But "this way" takes some explanation, and that is the rest of the question. I am a mathematician, ...
LSpice's user avatar
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0 answers
58 views

'Only recently were they' and 'Only recently they were' [duplicate]

Only recently (in February 1998) women’s ice hockey was incorporated into the Olympic Winter Games, while men’s ice hockey has been a fixed event ever since the first Winter Games started in 1924. ...
user481833's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
357 views

Answering YES/NO to a negative statement [duplicate]

I have to complete a form for a job that requests me to answer yes/no to some statements. The statements are written on negative form (e.g. The Company and its Management have not been found guilty ...
Morna's user avatar
  • 17
2 votes
0 answers
69 views

Any proposition...cannot be... vs. No proposition...can be

In another post, Lord Esher was quoted as saying this sentence: Any proposition the result of which would be to show that the common law of England is wholly unreasonable and unjust cannot be part of ...
JK2's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
79 views

Negatives and Interrogatives with and without subject-verb inversion: "Didn't you have a lecture today?" vs "You didn't have a lecture today?"

"Didn't you have a lecture today?" vs "You didn't have a lecture today?" Regarding the aforementioned clauses, from "experience", I can surmise different, subtle nuances. ...
ARGYROU MINAS's user avatar
19 votes
9 answers
4k views

Why is "at least" unnatural here? "It won't take at least 15 minutes to walk there."

(1) It won't take at least 15 minutes to walk there. (2) It won't take more than 15 minutes to walk there. Am I right in thinking (2) sounds natural but (1) doesn't? If so, what is the reason for ...
Aki's user avatar
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