Not exactly/really.

[diamondcutter]

--You don’t like British breakfast, do you?
--Not exactly. I just need some time to get used to it.

(English Test, Senior High School Entrance Examination, Henan Province, China)

I wonder if ‘really’ could also be used for the blank.

 

[teechar]

No. "Not really" would be confirmatory of the question. In other words, it would mean "You are correct; I don't like British breakfast".

 

[diamondcutter]

No. "Not really" would be confirmatory of the question. In other words, it would mean "You are correct; I don't like British breakfast".

Do you mean that 'really' means 'indeed'?

 

[teechar]

Do you mean that 'really' means 'indeed'?

No. What makes you say that?

 

[diamondcutter]

No. What makes you say that?

Sorry, that's my understanding.

--Do you like that car?
--Not really.

I want to know in this context if 'not really' means 'not indeed'.

 

[emsr2d2]

"not indeed" doesn't mean anything at all. We don't use it.

"Not exactly" means "That's not exactly right" and refers to whatever statement has just been uttered.

 

[GoesStation]

--Do you like that car?
--Not really.

I want to know in this context if 'not really' means 'not indeed'.

"Not really", "not very much", and "not especially" are different ways to express the same idea.

 

[diamondcutter]

"Not really", "not very much", and "not especially" are different ways to express the same idea.

What about "not exactly"? I wonder if it also expresses the same idea as "not really", "not very much", and "not especially" in this dialogue.

--Do you like that car?
--Not exactly/Not really/Not very much/Not especially.

 

[GoesStation]

What about "not exactly"? I wonder if it also expresses the same idea as "not really", "not very much", and "not especially" in this dialogue.

--Do you like that car?
--Not exactly/Not really/Not very much/Not especially.

No. Not exactly means "almost, but not quite". You wouldn't say that you almost like the car.

 

[diamondcutter]

No. Not exactly means "almost, but not quite". You wouldn't say that you almost like the car.

I wonder if you mean we don't use 'Not exactly.' to reply to questions like 'Do you like that car?'

 

[GoesStation]

I wonder if you mean we don't use 'Not exactly' to reply to questions like 'Do you like that car?'

That's what I mean. Here's one way you can use the phrase:

A: Do C, E-flat, G#, and B-flat make a Caug7 chord?
B: Not exactly. That would be a Cmin aug7.

 

[diamondcutter]

These are examples I found in dictionaries, textbooks, etc. The sentences in brackets are my understandings of the examples. I’d like to hear your comments on my understandings.

1.Collins:
--And you refused?
--Well, not exactly. I couldn’t say yes. (The fact is that ‘I’ refused.)

2. Webster:
2.1
--He’s your boss, isn’t he?
--Not exactly. (The fact is that ‘he’ isn’t ‘my’ boss.)

2.2
--Did everything go the way you planned?
--Not exactly. (The fact is that things didn’t go the way ‘I’ planned.)

3.Oxford:
--So he told you you’d got the job?
--Not exactly, but he said they were impressed with me. (The fact is that ‘I’ didn’t get the job.)

4.Longman:
--You hate Lee, don’t you?
----Not exactly. I just think he’s a bit annoying that’s all. (The fact is that ‘I’ hate Lee.)

5.English for Fun 7B, a textbook by DC Canadian Education Publishing:
There are only 26 letters in English. So English is an easy language to learn, right? Well, not exactly. (The fact is that English isn’t easy to learn, at least not as easy as you think.)

6.English Test, Senior High School Entrance Examination, Henan Province, China:
--You don’t like British breakfast, do you?
--Not exactly. I just need some time to get used to it. (The fact is that ‘I’ don’t like British breakfast, at least now.)

 

[Tarheel]

A: And so you refused?
B: Not exactly.

It was neither a refusal nor an acceptance.

 

[diamondcutter]

A: And so you refused?
B: Not exactly.

It was neither a refusal nor an acceptance.

Hi, Tarheel. I wonder if you mean all my understandings are correct except this one.

 

[Tarheel]

A: Did things go according to plan?
B: Not exactly.

Some things did go according to plan, and some things didn't.

 

[Tarheel]

Hi, Tarheel. I wonder if you mean all my understandings are correct except this one.

No. In any case, since there is very little context, these are very much open to interpretation.

 

[Tarheel]

A: So he told you you'd got the job?
B: Not exactly, but he said they were impressed with me.

Optimistic interpretation: I have a good chance of getting the job.

Pessimistic interpretation:

I am probably not going to get the job.

 

[teechar]

These are examples I found in dictionaries, textbooks, etc. The sentences in brackets are my understandings of the examples. I’d like to hear your comments on my understandings.

The idea of "not exactly" is to introduce doubt or some level of disagreement. When we say to someone "Not exactly", we mean "What you've just said is not entirely accurate".

1.Collins:
--And you refused?
--Well, not exactly. I couldn’t say yes. [STRIKE](The fact is that ‘I’ refused.)[/STRIKE]

That's a meaningless/useless example. It needs more context to clarify it. Ignore it.

2. Webster:
2.1
--He’s your boss, isn’t he?
--Not exactly. [STRIKE](The fact is that ‘he’ isn’t ‘my’ boss.)[/STRIKE]

That's another meaningless/useless example. It needs more context to clarify it. Ignore it.

2.2
--Did everything go the way you planned?
--Not exactly. ([STRIKE]The fact is that things didn’t go[/STRIKE] Not everything went the way I planned.)

OK

3.Oxford:
--So he told you you’d got the job?
--Not exactly, but he said they were impressed with me. ([STRIKE]The fact is that ‘I’ didn’t get the job.[/STRIKE] He didn't say whether or not I'd got the job; he just said that they were impressed with me)

4.Longman:
--You hate Lee, don’t you?
----Not exactly. I just think he’s a bit annoying that’s all. ([STRIKE]The fact is that ‘I’ hate Lee.[/STRIKE] I don't hate Lee; I just dislike the fact that he can be annoying sometimes.)

5.English for Fun 7B, a textbook by DC Canadian Education Publishing:
There are only 26 letters in English. So English is an easy language to learn, right? Well, not exactly. (The fact is that English isn’t easy to learn, at least not as easy as you think.)

OK

6.English Test, Senior High School Entrance Examination, Henan Province, China:
--You don’t like British breakfast, do you?
--Not exactly. I just need some time to get used to it. ([STRIKE]The fact is that ‘I’ don’t like British breakfast, at least now.[/STRIKE] Your statement that I don't like British breakfast is inaccurate; the food is new to me, and I need some time to get used to it)