[Grammar] Beginning a sentence with 'not'

[vpkannan]

Hi

'Not many people will like it.'

'Not will many people like it.'

Which one of the above sentences is correct?

Thanks.

 

[vpkannan]

What is the difference between 'Many people will not like it' and 'Not many people will like it.'?

 

[Roman55]

'Many people will not like it' = A lot of people won't like it. This puts the emphasis on those that don't like it.

'Not many people will like it' = A few people will like it, and of the others we don't know whether they don't like it or whether they're indifferent to it.

 

[vpkannan]

Semantics is OK. But, What is the difference between 'Many people will not like it' and 'Not many people will like it' grammatically, I mean, in terms of sentence structure?

 

[Roman55]

Semantics is OK. But, What is the difference between 'Many people will not like it' and 'Not many people will like it' grammatically, I mean, in terms of sentence structure?

Maybe you should think more about semantics when you formulate your questions.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hi

Hi, V! Here's another way to look at it:

'Not many people will like it.' This means that FEW people will like it. Most people won't.

'Many people will not like it.' This means that SOME WILL like and SOME WON'T. We don't know whether or not most people will like it.

'Not will many people like it.' This is bad grammar.

Which one of the above sentences is correct?

Thanks.

Does that make it any clearer?