Negative and directive sentences

Negation (tagadás)

can be clause or local negation

• clause: negates the whole sentence, the negation is connected to the verb

• local: negates part of a sentence, the rest remains positive

Clause negation (verbal)

A positive clause can be negated by inserting “not” between the operator and the predication → I have finished becomes I have NOT finished.

If there is no operator present, a dummy operator “do” is introduced → She works hard becomes She DOES NOT work hard.

Non-verbal negation

The main verb is not directly negated

• Can be determiners, adverbs, pronouns: We haven’t had any lunch.

• Words like: scarcely, seldom, hardly, rarely, barely, etc. → They scarcely seem to care, do they? → words negative in meaning but not in form

• Words negative in form and meaning: An honest man would not lie; No honest man would lie.

• Tag questions: You would never tell a lie, would you?

• Echoing statements: They’ve got no idea and nor have I.

Scope of negation

?

Focus of negation

Which part of the sentence is emphasised → clause or local

Local negation

Negates a word or a phrase without making the clause negative using → not + word and negative prefixes: un-, in-

e.g. She’s not an unintelligent woman.

e.g. I saw a not too sympathetic report about you.

Can also move into initial position → Not too long ago, I saw …

Double negative: A little party never killed nobody.

Directives

• Be quiet! → There is a base form VP and no pronounced subject but still addresses the listener.

• Shut up, will you? → Tag question and reflexive pronoun

• You come here! → Present subject, most of the time it’s “you”

• Nobody move! → 3rd person subject

• Let us go/Let it be. → Special construction is with the verb “let” in 1st person imperative but it’s possible in 3rd person as well.

• Do sit down. → Directives can be positive or negative (with the operator “don’t”) and positive can be more emphasised with the operator “do”