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  #11 (permalink)  
Old 09-Jan-2006, 02:38
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen
What about 'completely not [adjective]' and 'extremely not [adjective]'?
Max is not extremely well. <not negates extremely)
Max is extremely not well. <not negates well)
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Old 09-Jan-2006, 11:03
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Casiopea
Max is not extremely well. <not negates extremely)
Max is extremely not well. <not negates well)
You didn't say anything about 'completely not [adjective]', so is it incorrect?
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Old 10-Jan-2006, 12:50
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Max is not completely sure. <emphasis on negating "completely sure">
Max is completely not sure. <emphasis on negating "sure">
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Old 13-Jan-2006, 10:11
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

So 'something/someone is too not [adjective]', 'something/someone is that not [adjective]', 'something/someone is this not [adjective]', and 'something/someone is so not [adjective]' are still are wrong?
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Old 14-Jan-2006, 07:49
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

'something/someone is too not [adjective]'.
'something/someone is that not [adjective]'
'something/someone is this not [adjective]'
E.g. Sam, is this not your book?

Colloquial
someone/something is so not . . .

Max: Our English teacher is so cool!
Pat: She is so not cool!
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Old 16-Jan-2006, 03:41
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

So you can never have negative "as ... as" comparisons like "You're as not nice (meaning "as unkind/mean") as he is"?
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Old 21-Jan-2006, 13:51
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen
So you can never have negative "as ... as" comparisons like "You're as not nice (meaning "as unkind/mean") as he is"?
as. . .as is a set phrase, so "not" negates the set, not individual items within the set. To get that reading, use the prefix un-, like this,

It's as uncommon as it is common.
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Old 25-Jan-2006, 08:19
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Are these correct or not?

"I always don't do that" (meaning "I never do that")
"I almost didn't understand" (meaning "I hardly/barely understood")
"I rarely don't go" (meaning "I go quite often" or "I usually go")
"I often don't go" (meaning "I don't go very often")
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Old 22-Feb-2006, 13:40
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen
Are these correct or not?

"I always don't do that" (meaning "I never do that")
"I almost didn't understand" (meaning "I hardly/barely understood")
"I rarely don't go" (meaning "I go quite often" or "I usually go")
"I often don't go" (meaning "I don't go very often")
Please, just tell me if those sentences are correct.
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Old 22-Feb-2006, 16:34
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

None of them sounds very natural to me.
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