Is it 'it's NO better!' or 'it's not better!'?
- Thread starter Mehrgan
- Start date
- Views : 3,516
- Status
bhaisahab
VIP Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2008
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- England
- Current Location
- Ireland
There is no difference in meaning.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2006
- Location
- Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- UK
- Current Location
- UK
If a doctor said to me 'If it's no better in a week, come back' I wouldn't expect to be fully fit in a week. I think in that context 'no better' emphasizes the comparative nature of the adjective. 'If you're not better...' sounds to me more final. To convey the same meaning, in that context, as 'If you're no better...' with 'not' the doctor would have to say 'If you're not getting better...'
So in some contexts I think 'no + <adj>' doesn't mean quite the same as 'not + <adj>' . (But maybe this is one of those cases 5jj knows, where a teacher tries to find a difference where there is none. ;-))
b
bhaisahab
VIP Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2008
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- England
- Current Location
- Ireland
If a doctor said to me 'If it's no better in a week, come back' I wouldn't expect to be fully fit in a week. I think in that context 'no better' emphasizes the comparative nature of the adjective. 'If you're not better...' sounds to me more final. To convey the same meaning, in that context, as 'If you're no better...' with 'not' the doctor would have to say 'If you're not getting better...'
So in some contexts I think 'no + <adj>' doesn't mean quite the same as 'not + <adj>' . (But maybe this is one of those cases 5jj knows, where a teacher tries to find a difference where there is none. ;-))
b
Yes, I agree with you in the doctor context, Bob. I didn't think of that.
- Status
Similar threads
