> Joe wrote:
> > 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.
>
> I could lack the opinion one way or the other as to whether something is
> true or not, which would be the logical interpretation of I don't think
>
> My point is that we use I don't think not to indicate the absence of an
> opinion but the presence of one.