Inherently negative verbs

There are a number of English verbs which are inherently negative, as can be seen by their requirement for any rather than some in certain environments. These verbs divide into two types.

Firstly, there are verbs like forbid which involve inherent negation of the complement clause. Compare:

(102a) I ordered Mary to eat some apples

(102b) I ordered Mary not to eat any apples

(102c) I forbade Mary to eat any apples

Here, forbade (to) takes any, as does order not (to). Other inherently negative verbs of this type include deny that (equivalent to say/state that not), doubt that (equivalent to think that not), and dissuade from (equivalent to persuade not to). There are also adjectives which show inherent negation of a following complement clause; for example, reluctant to (equivalent to eager not to). (It will be seen from (102a–b) that not with a TO complement clause does not require a preceding do.)

The other type involves inherent negation of the main clause verb. Compare:

(103a) I accepted the idea that Mary had eaten some cakes

(103b) I didn’t accept the idea that Mary had eaten any cakes

(103c) I rejected the idea that Mary had eaten any cakes

Here reject is like not accept in taking any within the appositional complement clause, whereas accept takes some. Further examples of this type include forget (equivalent to not remember).

It must be borne in mind that the use of the some/any alternation here applies only to sentential negation with some, involving any2. It is perfectly possible to say, for example, I ordered Mary to do (absolutely) anything (she was asked to do), or I ordered Mary not to do (absolutely) anything (she was asked to do), or I forbade Mary to do (absolutely) anything (she was asked to do), all involving any1.