Don't I receive

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Yoong Liat

#534292 Sun, 29 Jun 08 05:19 PM

You're right. Let leave 'get criticized' alone. What do you think of the following sentence?

Not only do I not receive a compliment, but I also constantly get criticized.

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (6,149)

Yoong Liat

New2grammar

#534303 Sun, 29 Jun 08 05:42 PM

To be honest, I really don't see any difference. Is 'but' needed? Is 'also' needed?

What's the typical construction? This is a very common construction as far as I know. I thought my version was the typical construction.

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

Veteran Member (7,676)

Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?

Constructions

optilang

#534305 Sun, 29 Jun 08 05:52 PM

New2grammar
Not only don't I receive a compliment, I constantly get criticized.

Is the above correct?
Thanks

It sounds strange to me because the criticism appears ongoing, but a compliment would happen once.

Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

Not only don't I receive a compliment, I get criticised.

Not only don't I receive a single compliment, I constantly get criticised.

Here comes the confusion!

optilang

Joined on Tue, May 13 2008

Poland

Senior Member (2,256)

OptiNative British English Speaker Wherever I may roam, I'm still a Londoner.

Grammar

New2grammar

#534420 Sun, 29 Jun 08 11:39 PM

I wish I could download weird rules like these from your brain to mine. They are so confusing! (:'() Crying

New2grammar

Yoong Liat

#534442 Mon, 30 Jun 08 03:30 AM

With due respect to Optilang, I believe his sentences below are not grammatically correct.

Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

Not only don't I receive a compliment, I get criticised.

Not only don't I receive a single compliment, I constantly get criticised.

I don't think 'Not only don't ..' is correct. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe my sentence below is correct.

Not only do I not receive a compliment, but I also constantly get criticized.

New2Grammar is confused. He said, "I wish I could download weird rules like these from your brain to mine. They are so confusing!" (:'() Crying

He and I, as well as other non-native speakers, need to know the correct version.

I would appreciate it very much if another native speaker could let me know whether I'm correct.

Best wishes.

Yoong Liat

Grammar

Avangi

#534444 Mon, 30 Jun 08 03:44 AM

I think Optilang's point is valid, and his sentences are correct.

I also think New2's sentence works in its barest iteration, because the first clause is a negative. Within the time frame of the sentence, the lack of compliments is as continuous as the criticism. You might even say Optilang's versions tend toward redundancy, but they're not unnatural, and certainly not incorrect.

- A.

It would not be natural to say, "Every day, I don't receive a compliment!"

Avangi

Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007

Senior Member (4,530)

". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

Clauses, Negatives

Abil

#534449 Mon, 30 Jun 08 04:35 AM

IYoong Liat's sentence seems to me to be grammatically correct. But I have no reason to term others as wrong.
Thannks

Abil

Joined on Wed, Jun 11 2008

Regular Member (763)

Yankee

#534451 Mon, 30 Jun 08 04:40 AM

Yoong Liat
I don't think 'Not only don't ..' is correct. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi YL
Maybe looking at these two sentences will help clarify what's happening in N2G's 'not only' sentences:

- Which part do you not understand?
- Which part don't you understand?

Both of the sentences above are correct, right? The only difference is the contraction in the second sentence. However, the only way to contract 'do' and 'not' is to reverse the positions of 'you' and 'not'.

The same thing can happen in N2G's 'not only' sentences:

- Not only do I not receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.
- Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,498)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Contractions

Yoong Liat

#534457 Mon, 30 Jun 08 04:59 AM

Hi Amy

Many thanks for your response.

With due respect to you, I would like to comment on the second sentence below.

- Not only do I not receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.
- Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

Not only do not I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised. (If I use the long form 'do not', the phrase doesn't fit in the sentence, does it? Or is it correct grammatically? Please clear my doubt.)

Many thanks.

Best wishes.

Yoong Liat

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