By Verbs, Negations

Here are some examples The main point is to explain the correct answerThe sentences are little-bit childisch ;they are some modified sentences. I am afraid that my explanations seems to be a little childisch, too. So please help me how to turn it into the right explanation. Mary was real angry...

that I know how to ... (NO!)

.They are both fine, and in this case quite common, but native speakers tend to front the negation to the matrix verb, as in:I don't think they are coming (vs I think they aren't coming)She doesn't want me to smoke (vs she wants me not to smoke)etc.

E, because the reading of Freud probably stimulated the speaker's first thoughts about the significance of dreams. It's doubtful that the speaker thought about that topic at all before reading Freud, so it's not likely that "he didn't think dreams were of so much...

Hi,I am afraid I didn't understand exactly what you wanted. Hopefully someone else will be able to understand and help you a little more. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a few opinions:I have bought a book for a year. <-- No, this is not good, as you said.You could say:I have lived...

Of the four, I would not use the third -- thought ... can't ...Actually, I probably wouldn't use any of them. Normally the negation is "raised" to the main clause with verbs like think. I would use one of these:She think that her purse could have been found by any of the...

Do existed in Old English more than a thousand years ago as a regular verb and meant to cause. It is impossible to say who introduced it to English. It's use as an auxiliary in questions and negations was established in Shakespeare's day when it was correct to say bothI know not himandI...

The speaker indicates that 'he' (someone other than the speaker) has no credibility. Right. Negation is transferred into the main clause with some verbs like think, believe, and want. CJ

I am trying to formulate guidelines for learners of English as a foreign language with regards the use of may/might/could to express possibility. It seems to me that you can use these three modals (almost) interchangeably when expressing possibility. For example, 'Where's Mary?' 'I'm not sure....

Welcome to English Forums! I'm not sure that I understood your question, but feel free to continue the discussion with further questions if my answer is not what you wanted. _______ First of all, assertion, in contrast to non-assertion, simply refers to a declarative statement that is...