[General] give vs afford

[mokbon]

Hello

ex)
We can't not afford you an opportunity to speak
We can't not give you an opportunity to speak

Are these just formal and non-formal?
Help me to find the difference between these.

 

[riquecohen]

Hello

ex)
We can't not afford you an opportunity to speak
We can't not give you an opportunity to speak

Are these just formal and non-formal?
Help me to find the difference between these.

Do you mean "We cannot...?"
You are correct. In your examples they mean the same thing except that "afford" in this context is quite formal. .

 

[probus]

Hello

ex)
We can't not afford you an opportunity to speak
We can't not give you an opportunity to speak

Are these just formal and non-formal?
Help me to find the difference between these.

To answer the easy unasked question, the use of the negative in both of these questions is wrong. You must say "We can" rather than "We can't".

As to the real question, I feel that "we cannot afford" is an older, less current form, but definitely not wrong.

 

[5jj]

To answer the easy unasked question, the use of the negative in both of these questions is wrong. You must say "We can" rather than "We can't".

The use of the negative is not wrong. It stresses the impossibility/unfairness of failing to give the opportunity. In speech, the 'not' would be stressed, and uttered almost as if it were hyphenated to the following verb.

Here is a less formal example:

A: I really don't want to go to the party this evening.
B. Well don't go, then.
A: I can't not go; it would seem terribly rude.