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Thread: Negatives in reporting

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    Default Negatives in reporting

    [...]
    However, with some verbs, to report a negative sentence we usually make the verb in the reporting clause negative:
    - 'I expect he won't come.'/ 'I don't expect he will come.' -> She didn't expect him to come. (rather than She expected he wouldn't come.)
    Other verbs like this include believe, feel, intend, plan, propose, suppose, think, want.

    (Advanced Grammar in Use - Martin Hewings)

    Is there any particular reason why this is so?

    Would you object to:

    'I can't ask my parents to help me again.' -> He felt that he couldn't ask his parents to help him again.

    instead of

    'I can't ask my parents to help me again.' -> He didn't feel that he could ask his parents to help him again.

    Why?

    Thank you in advance.
    Last edited by Chicken Sandwich; 28-Oct-2012 at 15:07.
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    5jj
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    Default Re: Negatives in reporting

    Quote Originally Posted by Chicken Sandwich View Post
    [...]However, with some verbs, to report a negative sentence we usually make the verb in the reporting clause negative:
    - 'I expect he won't come.'/ 'I don't expect he will come.' -> She didn't expect him to come. (rather than She expected he wouldn't come.)
    Other verbs like this include believe, feel, intend, plan, propose, suppose, think, want.

    (Advanced Grammar in Use - Martin Hewings)

    Is there any particular reason why this is so?
    Not that I know of. It's just one of those things.
    Would you object to:

    'I can't ask my parents to help me again.' -> He felt that he couldn't ask his parents to help him again.

    instead of

    'I can't ask my parents to help me again.' -> He didn't feel that he could ask his parents to help him again.
    No
    Why?
    Note that Hewings used the word 'usually'. One way of saying things is more common. The other is not necessarily wrong.
    Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
    Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
    If you just want to know the meaning of a word, try OneLook Dictionary Search first.


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