adverbs

[navi tasan]

Which is correct:
1-He talked about the problem not unwillingly.

2-He talked about the problem not very willingly.

3-He talked about the problem not willingly.

4-Not willingly, he talked about the problem.

5-He talked about the problem, not willingly.

[Tdol]

I'd use 'unwillingly' or a negative verb and 'willingly'.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by navi tasan

Which is correct:
1-He talked about the problem not unwillingly.

2-He talked about the problem not very willingly.

3-He talked about the problem not willingly.

4-Not willingly, he talked about the problem.

5-He talked about the problem, not willingly.

I would only use #1. Even though it is a bit clumsy, it is an example of "litotes", negating a negative to make a weak positive. The first is less strong than "He talked about the problem willingly."

[RonBee]

I think reluctantly works much better than not unwillingly. That is because that is what the writer is saying only it says it more directly. While I understand what litotes is, I don't think the example sentence is a very good example of it.

:)

[Tdol]

Changing the word is better.