4.

Negation
Definition:
- The negation of a sentence is accomplished by inserting not between the
operator and the predication.
E.g:
The attempt has succeeded
+ The attempt has not succeeded

1. Assertives vs Non – assertives

2. Negative intensification
3. Alternative Negative elements
4. Scope of negation
5. Focus of negation
6. Relationship between scope and focus of negation
7. Main verb nagation vs Auxiliary negation

*Assertives *Non- assertives Non- assertive forms = items that do not

Some Any naturally occur outside negative,
Someone Anyone
interrogative, and conditional sentences
Somewhere Anywhere
Somehow In any way E.g:
To some extent At all
Alresdy Yet I saw him somehow
A great deal Much - I didn't see him in any way.
Too Either
A long way Far
Too Very
A long time Long

*Negative intensification
- Negative Intensification = ways to give emotive intensification to a negative
 E.g:
I found nothing at all the matter with him.
I have no excuse whatever.
I'll never, never go there again.
I've never in all my life seen such a crowd.
She has never spoken to me even a single word.

*Alternative Negative elements (Instead of the verb, anthor alement may

be nagated)
E.g: An honest man would not lie
-> No honest man would lie

*Scope of negation = The stretch of language over which the negative

meaning operates
Normally extends from the negative word itself to the end of the clause.
E.g.
I definitely didn’t speak to him .
(It’s definite that I did not.)

*Focus of negation
The contrastive nuclear stress falling on a particular part of a clause indicates that
the contrast of meaning implicit in the negation is located at that spot and the rest of
the clause can be understood in a positive sense.
E.g:
a, Tom doesn’t love Mary.
 Somebody loves Mary but it’s not Tom
b, Tom doesn’t ‘LOVE Mary .
 Tom likes Mary but it’s not love.
 *Relationship between scope and focus of negation
- Definition: The scope must include the focus, and by the position of the focus
we can realize the of the scope.
E.g:
I didn’t LISTEN all the time.
 (I listened some of the time.)
E.g: In each of the following case, does Tom love Mary or not?
-> Tom doesn’t LOVE Mary because, she is a teacher.
-> Tom doesn’t love Mary because, she is a TEACHER.

*Main verb nagation vs Auxiliary negation

a, Auxiliary negation
Definition: The scope of negation includes the meaning of the auxiliary itself
- Can’t (in all sense)
E.g: You can’t be doing
 (It is not possible that…)
You can’t go football
 (You are not allowed…)
She can’t ride motor
 (She is not able to…)
- Needn’t
E.g: You don't have to pay that shirt. (You are under no obligation...)
That's not my fault. (no need to...)
- May not ( = permission)
E.g: You may not go swimming. (You are not allowed to…)

b, Main verb nagation

- May not (=possibility)
E.g: They may not bother to come if it’s wet. (It is possible that they will not
bother to come.)
 - Will not/ won’t
E.g: Don’t worry. I won’t interfere (I’m willing not to interfere.)
He won’t do it (He insists on not doing it.)
They won’t have arrived yet (I predict that they’ve not arrived yet.)
- Shall not/ shan’t
E.g: Don’t worry, you shan’t lose your reward.
(I’m willing to see that you don’t lose your reward.
- Must not/ mustn’t
E.g: You mustn’t keep us all waiting (You’ll oblige me for not keeping…)
- Ought not/ oughtn’t
E.g: He oughtn’t to be long (necessity)
You oughtn’t to keep us waiting (obligation)