| Author |
Message |
Raf
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:31 am
Post subject: Grammar |
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Habits of the past:
Affirmative:
I used to walk on that park when I as a child.
Negative:
I didn't use to walk on that park when I as a child.
Which is correct?
I used to not walk on that park when I as a child.
or
I used not to walk on that park when I as a child.
thanks.
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Bob Cunningham
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:42 am
Post subject: Re: Grammar |
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On 14 Sep 2005 13:31:12 -0700, "Raf" <gomes.raf@gmail.com>
said:
[...]
| Quote: | Which is correct?
I used to not walk on that park when I as a child.
or
I used not to walk on that park when I as a child.
|
Either of them is "correct", but the second one suggests
that its perpetrator was trying to mind the foolish rule
against the "split infinitive". |
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:40 am
Post subject: Re: Grammar |
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"Raf" <gomes.raf@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126729872.714598.26710@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | I used to walk on that park when I as a child.
. . .
I didn't use to walk on that park when I as a child.
Which is correct?
|
Both are defective mainly because unidiomatic.
EFL speakers talk about walking in a park, not
on a park (but walk on a mountain, not in a mountain:
and when we walk in a field it suggests an agricultural
field, but walking on a field suggests a formal sports
field.)
Secondly, the subordinate phrase should be
as a child
or
when I was a child.
What you wrote is equally ungrammatical and unidiomatic
| Quote: | I used to not walk on that park when I as a child.
I used not to walk on that park when I as a child.
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Always avoid "to not."
Secondly, negative formulations of "used to" can
often be better rephrased "did not."
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
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Will
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:17 pm
Post subject: Re: Grammar |
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Raf wrote:
| Quote: | Habits of the past:
Affirmative:
I used to walk on that park when I as a child.
Negative:
I didn't use to walk on that park when I as a child.
Which is correct?
I used to not walk on that park when I as a child.
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Wrong.
| Quote: | I used not to walk on that park when I as a child.
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Right.
Though, as another has pointed out, you'd be unlikely to walk "on" a
park.
Will. |
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Raf
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:35 am
Post subject: Re: Grammar |
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| thank you all! |
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