A positive clause → negated by adding « not » between the OPERATOR and the PREDICATION
Ex: I have finished ….. I have not finished.
If no OPERATOR in the positive clause→ “dummy do” is introduced
Ex: She works …. She doesn’t work.
Followed by positive tag question
Some | Any |
Somebody | Anybody |
Somehow | At all |
Sometimes | Never/Even |
Still | Any longer |
Too | Either |
Great deal | Much |
Ex: They aren’t ready, are they?
Followed by negative tag clauses
Ex: They aren’t ready, neither are you.
Followed by negative agreement responses
Ex: He doesn’t know Russian. No he doesn’t.
Followed by nonassertive items* ( or more)
Ex: He won’t notice any change in you. ( We haven’t had any lunch.)
Transition from its USUAL position to INITIAL position → INVERSION OF Subject-Operator
Ex: Not a word would he say.
Ex: Never will I make that mistake again.
Several words are negative in MEANING but not in form : seldom, rarely, scarcely, hardly, barely, few (INITIAL POSITION → INVERSION Subject-Operator)
Ex: They scarcely seem to care, do they?
Ex: Scarcely ever has Britain suttered so much criticism.
ONLY
* When it focuses a SUBJECT NOUN PHRASE → a nonassertive items
Ex: Only two of us had any experience
* When do not focus on the SUBJECT → inversion subject-operator
Ex: Only in Sundays do they eat with their children.
RARELY
* Positive → placed as an adjunct → not inversion subject-operator
Ex: Rarely, crime pays well.
* In many cases : - Negative particle + nonassertive form → produce a negative form or replaced by a negative form
Ex: “not ever > never” or “not anywhere > nowhere”
No comments