It may be that..

[keannu]

Is this a mistake or a correct sentence structure?
It may be that we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them...(There is no not A, but B)
The normal structure I'd guess is like this, please let me know if the above is a distorted or another form of the following.
It may not be that we forget things, but that we forget where we put them.(not A, but B)

330-70
ex)Long-term memory is so enormously vast that there has been debate over whether information ever gets lost from long-term memory or whether, when we can't remember something, it is simply lost in long-term memory...We are all familiar with the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, which we are trying to remember a person's name and just can't come up with it. Then, three days later, while stopped in our car at a traffic light, the name suddenly spews forth. It was never actually lost from memory; it was lost in memory. It may be that we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them...

 

[bhaisahab]

Is this a mistake or a correct sentence structure?
It may be that we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them...(There is no not A, but B)
The normal structure I'd guess is like this, please let me know if the above is a distorted or another form of the following.
It may not be that we forget things, but that we forget where we put them.(not A, but B)

330-70
ex)Long-term memory is so enormously vast that there has been debate over whether information ever gets lost from long-term memory or whether, when we can't remember something, it is simply lost in long-term memory...We are all familiar with the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, which we are trying to remember a person's name and just can't come up with it. Then, three days later, while stopped in our car at a traffic light, the name suddenly spews forth. It was never actually lost from memory; it was lost in memory. It may be that we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them...

Don't = do not.

 

[keannu]

?????

 

[emsr2d2]

The sentence structure of "It may be that we don't forget things..." is fine.

 

[keannu]

But how is it connected with "but that.."?
You would logically say "It's not A, but B", then what is "It is A, but B" supposed to mean? Like "He is a policeman, but a teacher". Does it make sense? You would say "He is not a policeman, but a teacher"

 

[emsr2d2]

It may be that = the true situation might be

The true situation might be that we don't actually forget things. Instead, the situation is that we simply forget what we did with them.

But = instead, rather

It may be that he is not a policeman but a teacher.

 

[keannu]

I thiI think if we parenthesize the bold part, it may make more sense and "it may be that" seems to describe the whole thing.
It may be that (we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them).

 

[tzfujimino]

I thiI think if we parenthesize the bold part, it may make more sense and "it may be that" seems to describe the whole thing.
It may be that (we don't forget things, but that we forget where we put them).

Yes, I agree.:-D

It may be
that we don't forget things,
but
that we forget where we put them.

So, "but" combines the two 'that clauses' in the sentence.
:-D