Difference between revisions of "Not"

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(negation)
(negation)
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<p>Usage rules are fairly strict.  In formal writing abbreviations are to be avoided.  The only accepted use of the apostrophe in formal writing is generally to indicate the possessive / genitive case.  This is a prescriptivist, but pragmatically important, rule to know.</p>
 
<p>Usage rules are fairly strict.  In formal writing abbreviations are to be avoided.  The only accepted use of the apostrophe in formal writing is generally to indicate the possessive / genitive case.  This is a prescriptivist, but pragmatically important, rule to know.</p>
 +
 +
<p>In written dialogue, the apostrophe is nevertheless common. An example:</p>
  
  
 
<blockquote>Counselor: You <span style="color:darkblue;">couldn't</span> have known that Doug <span style="color:darkblue;">wasn't</span> coming.  <br />
 
<blockquote>Counselor: You <span style="color:darkblue;">couldn't</span> have known that Doug <span style="color:darkblue;">wasn't</span> coming.  <br />
 
Therapist:  I <span style="color:darkblue;">didn't</span> know; and I <span style="color:darkblue;">wouldn't</span> have re-arranged my schedule if I <span style="color:darkblue;">hadn't</span> thought he would be there.<br />
 
Therapist:  I <span style="color:darkblue;">didn't</span> know; and I <span style="color:darkblue;">wouldn't</span> have re-arranged my schedule if I <span style="color:darkblue;">hadn't</span> thought he would be there.<br />
Counselor: He <span style="color:darkblue;">hasn't</span> been coming to those meetings for several weeks.
+
Counselor: He <span style="color:darkblue;">hasn't</span> been coming to those meetings for several weeks.<br />
Therapist:  I <span style="color:darkblue;">won't</span> make the same mistake twice.  Next time, if he <span style="color:darkblue;">isn't</span> coming, I <span style="color:darkblue;">ain't</span> going either!   
+
Therapist:  I <span style="color:darkblue;">won't</span> make the same mistake twice.  Next time, if he <span style="color:darkblue;">isn't</span> coming, I <span style="color:darkblue;">ain't</span> going either!  <br />
Counselor:  We should send the secretary a message Thursday, <span style="color:darkblue;">don't</span> you think, just to confirm?
+
Counselor:  We should send the secretary a message Thursday, <span style="color:darkblue;">don't</span> you think, just to confirm?<br />
Therapist:  Oh, you <span style="color:darkblue;">mustn't</span> have heard, the secretary resigned yesterday.   
+
Therapist:  Oh, you <span style="color:darkblue;">mustn't</span> have heard, the secretary resigned yesterday.  <br />
Counselor:  Oh no, he <span style="color:darkblue;">shouldn't</span> have.  I'm not surprised though.  He <span style="color:darkblue;">wasn't</span> happy about all the criticism last month.  Things may not have been perfect,  but at least things got done.
+
Counselor:  Oh no, he <span style="color:darkblue;">shouldn't</span> have.  I'm not surprised though.  He <span style="color:darkblue;">wasn't</span> happy about all the criticism last month.  Things may not have been perfect,  but at least things got done.<br />
Therapist:  Absolutely.  Back to Doug again.  Doesn't he have a cell phone?
+
Therapist:  Absolutely.  Back to Doug again.  Doesn't he have a cell phone?<br />
 
Counselor:  No.  </blockquote>
 
Counselor:  No.  </blockquote>
  

Revision as of 01:13, 23 January 2014

negation

  • not becomes n't when attached to an auxiliary which is not itself abbreviated.
    • I've not heard much. // I haven't heard much.
    • I'm not sure. // I ain't going. (ain't is fairly widespread colloquial American)
  • I personally do not combine n't with may or might, though there is nothing particularly wrong with mightn't even if it is relatively infrequent. shan't is likewise rare.. (compare at google: couldn't // mayn't // shan't)

Usage rules are fairly strict. In formal writing abbreviations are to be avoided. The only accepted use of the apostrophe in formal writing is generally to indicate the possessive / genitive case. This is a prescriptivist, but pragmatically important, rule to know.

In written dialogue, the apostrophe is nevertheless common. An example:


Counselor: You couldn't have known that Doug wasn't coming.

Therapist: I didn't know; and I wouldn't have re-arranged my schedule if I hadn't thought he would be there.
Counselor: He hasn't been coming to those meetings for several weeks.
Therapist: I won't make the same mistake twice. Next time, if he isn't coming, I ain't going either!
Counselor: We should send the secretary a message Thursday, don't you think, just to confirm?
Therapist: Oh, you mustn't have heard, the secretary resigned yesterday.
Counselor: Oh no, he shouldn't have. I'm not surprised though. He wasn't happy about all the criticism last month. Things may not have been perfect, but at least things got done.
Therapist: Absolutely. Back to Doug again. Doesn't he have a cell phone?

Counselor: No.


Remember: the apostrophe has two uses in English: it represents a missing vowel:

  • the "o" of not
  • the "a" of are (You're, We're, They're)
  • the "a" of am (I'm (I am))
  • the "ha" of have (I've (I have))
  • the "i" of is (it's (It is))

or it represents possession: Sofiane's / Luke's / Zeke's / Mohammed's / the students' notebooks.

a third case in literature: represent missing sounds more generally.

(cf. genitive case)</p>

adverb

Negations of this sort are considered to be adverbs by almost all dictionaries, like the words yes and no. Some Indo-European examples:

  • nicht (Germ.)
  • non (Lat.)
  • pas (Fr.)
  • nje (не) (Russ.)

predeterminer

Some deny the existence of determiners (articles, demonstratives, quantifiers), so the idea that a grammatical class such as predeterminers should exist is not always welcomed easily, especially by those who teach what is known in France as la grammaire scolaire.

  • Not a one
  • Not everybody
  • not some time later (6m examples at Google, not a few of which are difficult to evaluate grammatically)
  • not a few of which
  • not the least of which

In any case, it is clear that the boundaries between adverbs and determination in the noun phrase (particularly deictic determination: today, tomorrow, this, that) are relatively fuzzy. At least four of the examples would clearly seem to be noun phrases.