All students don't like drinking milk.

[diamondcutter]

1.All students don't like drinking milk.

2.All students dislike drinking milk.

One of my friends says sentence #1 means “Not all students like drinking milk.” and sentence #2 means “None of the students likes drinking milk.”
I don’t know where he’s got these sentences. I wonder if native speakers really say these two sentences and if my friend’s explanations are correct.

 

[diamondcutter]

I wonder if you mean that native speakers do say sentence #2 and it means “None of the students likes drinking milk.”

 

[bubbha]

1.All students don't like drinking milk.

One of my friends says sentence #1 means “Not all students like drinking milk.”

And I say #1 means "No students like drinking milk."

Therein lies the problem with this particular sentence structure. Different people interpret it differently. That's why I strongly discourage its use.

 

[Tarheel]

I wonder if you mean that native speakers do say sentence #2 and it means “None of the students like drinking milk.”

Yes, the second one is fine.

 

[Tarheel]

Diamondcutter, why do you assume that people have perfect memories?

 

[jutfrank]

I would say that both sentences are unnatural.

In a strict logical sense, your friend is quite wrong. Sentence 1 means that no student likes drinking milk. In other words, 1 and 2 have the same meaning, logically speaking.

I don't think anybody would interpret sentence 1 in the way that your friend says (apart from your friend, apparently).

Again, both sentences are unnatural. A way to express the idea in natural language is this:

None of the students like(s) drinking milk.

 

[jutfrank]

It could be argued that sentence 1 could mean All students don't like drinking milk, but some do.

I don't think so. Not logically speaking. That would be Not all students like drinking milk, (but some do).

If you think you can argue that, though, I'd be willing to hear.

 

[Tdol]

One of my friends says sentence #1 means “Not all students like drinking milk.”

This is a highly unnatural interpretation for me.

 

[Tarheel]

All students don't like drinking milk.

Diamondcutter, don't use that one.