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tmc13

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hello i want know the use of unless in this sentence


If the EU continue with austerity, the people will be angry


Unless the Eu don't continue with austerity, the people will be angry


Is correct ??

Or

If banks exetend credit, Many shop will open

Unless banks don't exentd credit, many shop will open

Is ok ?


In this case unless = IF not + don't = if ?
 
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Rover_KE

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Welcome to the forum. Please note my amendments to your punctuation and spelling.

[STRIKE]hello[/STRIKE] I want know the use of 'unless' in this sentence:

If the EU continues with austerity, [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] people will be angry.

Unless the EU don't continue with austerity, [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] people will be angry.

Is this correct? It's unnatural English.

Or

If banks extend credit, many shops will open.

Unless banks don't extend credit, many shops will open.

Is this OK? No. It's unnatural English.


In this case unless = IF not + don't = if ? No. It doesn't work that way.

'Unless you apologise, you are no longer my friend.'

'If you don't apologise, you are no longer my friend.'
 

tmc13

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Welcome to the forum. Please note my amendments to your punctuation and spelling.



'Unless you apologise, you are no longer my friend.'

'If you don't apologise, you are no longer my friend.'


thank and sorry for my English.


But i don't understand


in this sentence for example

If banks extend credit, many shops willl open


I can transform it


unless banks don't extend credit, many shop will open


Because a double negative form= positive

Is correct ?
 

cereal_chick

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Thank you and sorry for my English.

But I don't understand; in this sentence for example:
"If banks extend credit, many shops will open."

I can transform it:
"Unless banks don't extend credit, many shops will open."

Because a double negative forms a positive.
Is this correct?
As noted before, the use of 'unless' in this way ("unless they don't") is unnatural. I would say "if the banks extend credit, many shops will open." "Unless banks don't extend credit, many shops will open" doesn't make sense.

PS: Do try to remember that "I" is always a capital letter, and that, unlike in Italian, the verb must always have an explicit subject. You must say "is this correct?", "is it OK?" etc.

[Not a teacher]
 

tmc13

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As noted before, the use of 'unless' in this way ("unless they don't") is unnatural. I would say "if the banks extend credit, many shops will open." "Unless banks don't extend credit, many shops will open" doesn't make sense.

PS: Do try to remember that "I" is always a capital letter, and that, unlike in Italian, the verb must always have an explicit subject. You must say "is this correct?", "is it OK?" etc.

[Not a teacher]


thank you

But in my homework there is this sentence

If banks extend credit, many shops will open

and i must
transform it


unless banks................., many shop will open


So for me i must insert " don't extend credit"


And i have found this rule


Unless means, approximately, “if not”, so to change if to unless, you need to negate the rest of the subordinate clause. Unless can be followed by a negative verb if it replaces if with a positive clause

Is it ok ?
 

Barb_D

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Your homework exercise is pointless.

Unless the banks extend credit, many shops will not open.

That's the only natural way to transform this. Forcing the ending to be "many shops will open" creates a very unnatural sentence. As you have now heard three times.
 

5jj

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Some books give the impression that 'if ... not' can always be replaced by 'unless'. This is simply not true.
 

Roman55

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I am not a teacher.

Transform it to this and you'll have a sentence that makes sense.

"Unless banks extend credit, many shops will close."
 
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5jj

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That's generally the meaning it conveys, That does not mean that 'unless' and 'except if' are always interchangeable.
 
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