THE SCOPE OF NEGATION

By the scope of negation we mean the semantic influence that a negative word has on the rest of the clause that follows it. Typically, all that follows the negative form to the end of the clause will be non-assertive and within the scope of negation. Thus, in Some people don’t have any sense of humour, some is outside the scope of negation, whereas any is inside it.

As the non-assertive forms are not in themselves negative, they cannot initiate the scope of negation by standing in initial position in the place of a nuclear negative form. Assertive forms such as some and its compounds can occur after a negative word, but they must necessarily stand outside the scope of negation. Compare the difference in meaning between the two following clauses:

1 He didn’t reply to any of my letters. (None of my letters received a reply)

2 He didn’t reply to some of my letters.

(Some of my letters received a reply, others did not)

The non-assertive form any in example 1 expresses the scope of negation as extending to the end of the clause. In example 2, on the other hand, some must be interpreted as outside the scope of negation.

The scope of negation is closely related to the function of Adjuncts in the clause. Compare the difference in meaning between examples 3 and 4 below, in which the manner Adjunct clearly is within the scope of negation in 3, while the attitudinal sentence Adjunct clearly in 4 is outside it:

3 She didn’t explain the problem clearly.

4 She clearly didn’t explain the problem.

The scope of negation can also explain the occasional occurrence of two negative words in the same clause as in You can’t NOT go. Here each negative item has its own scope.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

وفد العتبة العباسية المقدسة يزور قضاء آمرلي ويشيد بجهود أهاليه في دعم الشعبين الإيراني واللبناني

قسم التطوير يقيم دورة عن أخلاقيات المهنة ضمن البرنامج التأهيلي لمنتسبي العتبة العباسية المقدسة الجدد

شعبة التوجيه الديني النسوي تحيي ذكرى ولادة الإمام الرضا (عليه السلام)

في ذكرى ولادته.. قسم الشؤون الدينية يستذكر فضائل الإمام الرضا (عليه السلام)

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

أطعمة مفيدة وأخرى ضارة للأسنان

دراسة تكشف تأثيرا خفيا لتناول المانجو والأفوكادو معاً

لكسر الإدمان وحماية الصحة.. بدائل طبيعية للسكر المعالج

قرار تاريخي في بريطانيا.. منع التدخين تماما لمواليد 2008

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

10 أخطاء يومية تدمّر سيارتك ومحركها بصمت: كيف تحافظ عليها؟

روسيا.. تطوير هيدروجيل حيوي لتحسين كفاءة الري وتنظيم رطوبة التربة

حل لغز البرق البركاني ؟

تطبيق ذكاء اصطناعي يتصفح الإنترنت ومنصات التواصل بدلا عنك !

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

ANY AND OTHER NON-ASSERTIVE WORDS

Componence, realization and function

Classes of words

Classes of groups

THE CONTENT OF COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATIVE ACTS

LANGUAGE AND MEANING

Grammatical Function Change

Affixation in the item-and-process and item-and-arrangement models

Inflection vs. Derivation

Lexemes

An outline of grammatical evolution Conclusions