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  #31 (permalink)  
Old 25-Aug-2006, 03:49
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Default Re: almost can't

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly View Post
.
I agree it wouldn't be terribly usual, ...
Why not "...wouldn't be terribly unusual, ..."?
`
------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen View Post
I noticed that in English, it often sounds strange to place adverbs of frequency, time, or degree, before negation; why?
`
consider these:
"not recently/currently/lately/formerly/originally/usually/generally/normally/typically/at first/before/in fact/previously"
is more common than
"recently/currently/lately/formerly/originally/usually/generally/typically/normally/at first/before/in fact/previously not"
Can someone at least tell me the difference of placing "not" before the adverb and placing "not" after the adverb, such as? :
`
"it is currently not" and "it is not currently"
`
"I have recently not" and "I have not recently"

Last edited by dihen; 25-Aug-2006 at 04:03.
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  #32 (permalink)  
Old 25-Aug-2006, 08:49
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Default unusual vs usual

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly
.
I agree it wouldn't be terribly usual, ...
Why not "...wouldn't be terribly unusual, ..."?
Because saying "unusual" doesn't mean the same thing, dihen! That would mean exactly the opposite of what I wanted to say.
.
In my opinion, "almost can't" is definitely not a typical collocation. I just wasn't willing to completely rule out the usage. If someone were to use it, I'd understand the meaning to be similar to "can hardly."
.
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  #33 (permalink)  
Old 25-Aug-2006, 11:50
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Default Re: unusual vs usual

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen
I agree it wouldn't be terribly usual, ...
Why not "...wouldn't be terribly unusual, ..."?
Because saying "unusual" doesn't mean the same thing, dihen! That would mean exactly the opposite of what I wanted to say.
So you were using "terribly" as "very"?

Last edited by dihen; 25-Aug-2006 at 12:47.
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  #34 (permalink)  
Old 25-Aug-2006, 12:10
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

.
Yes, that's right.
.
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  #35 (permalink)  
Old 01-Sep-2006, 16:15
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly View Post
Yes, that's right.
Actually, the main reason that I suggested "terribly unusual" was because I thought that "...it wouldn't be terribly usual" meant "...it wouldn't be terribly usual, but it's still somewhat usual.".
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  #36 (permalink)  
Old 01-Sep-2006, 16:39
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Hi dihen
What I wanted to say is that almost can't is not a standard or typical collocation. It is unusual.
.
BUT I think it is wrong to claim that a native speaker would never say it.
.
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  #37 (permalink)  
Old 02-Sep-2006, 03:43
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Will a native speaker say "They are both not coming."?
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  #38 (permalink)  
Old 02-Sep-2006, 03:59
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Default Re: almost can't

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen View Post
Can someone at least tell me the difference of placing "not" before the adverb and placing "not" after the adverb, such as?
"not" is a pre-modifier:

[1] not recently seen
=> here time is negated; it's in focus.

[2] recently not seen
=> here the act is negated; it's in focus.
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  #39 (permalink)  
Old 03-Sep-2006, 10:44
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Will native speakers say these?
`
"almost don't need to"
"almost don't have to"
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  #40 (permalink)  
Old 03-Sep-2006, 20:19
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Default Re: which adverbs can't have a 'not' after them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dihen View Post
Will native speakers say these?
`
"almost don't need to"
"almost don't have to"
Yes, that is possible. (Say: "Would native speakers say these?")

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