Re: I've'nt (was: Re: Quick Intro)

On Sunday 23 February 2003 9:48 pm, David Barrow wrote:
> Muke Tever wrote:
> > From: "David Barrow" <davidab@...>
> >
> > > However, if people think about it, there is something illogical about
> > > the construction "i don't think........" rather than "I
> > > think......not..."; after
> >
> > all if
> >
> > > we have an opinion or belief about a negative we still have an opinion
> > > or
> >
> > belief,
> >
> > > don't we?
> > >
> > > Spanish also has both the logical "creo que no..." and the illogical
> > > "no creo que..."
> >
> > I dont think it's *illogical* to say "I dont think [X]" ... taking this
> > sentence as an example, I'm trying to say that while you may think it's
> > illogical, that's not what I think.
> >
> > If the more common use of "I don't think [X]" is in contradiction to what
> > someone _does_ think, it's likely that the use of the phrase'll just
> > carry over to different kinds of sentences (if there are any... I cant
> > atm.. just woke up).
> >
> >     *Muke!
> > --
> > http://www.frath.net/
>
> I don't think she knows
> I think she doesn´t know
>
> or your example
>
> I don't think it's illogical
> I think it's not illogical
>
> They're illogical because "not" is negating the wrong verb
>
> compare
> I don't insist you do that
> I insist you don't do that
But 'insist' has more than two possibilities.  a) insist - positive b)don't
insist - negative c)insist you don't - oppositional(I'm making up terms on
the spot here, I'd be grateful if someone could help me out)

However, with 'think', you only have two possibilities.  Because if you don't
think one is true, you obviously think it's not true.  Therefore, the
Negative and Oppositional have merged, and we just have picked the negative
as the default.

It's perfectly logical.


> David Barrow

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