not at all

[navi tasan]

Which of these is correct:

1-On some days I can be here all the time and she can be here not at all.
2-On some days I may be here all the time and she may not be here at all.

 

[Casiopea]

Sentence 2 is correct.

The error in sentence 1 has to do with the position of the word 'not':

1a-...I can not be here all the time.
1b-...she can be here not at all. (Doesn't match 1a)

3a-...I can not be here all the time.
3b-...she can not be here at all. (Matches 3a) OK


2a-...I may not be here all the time.
2b-...she may not be here at all. (Matches 2a) OK

All the best,

Cas

 

[RonBee]

Which of these is correct:

1-On some days I can be here all the time and she can be here not at all.
2-On some days I may be here all the time and she may not be here at all.

The first sentence is not at all idiomatic English. Try:

• On some days I might be here all the time and she might not be here at all.

In the second sentence, the second may suggests that she might not have permission to be there. You might want to use might instead.