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Are the sentences correct?

 
 
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 11:49 am
1. Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

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

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

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

Are all the sentences correct? If so, what is the difference between the 4th and the other questons?

Many thanks.
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Type: Discussion • Score: 3 • Views: 741 • Replies: 6
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TTH
 
  1  
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 01:22 pm
No, not all the sentences are correct.

The first through the third have the word "don't", which is a contraction of "do not", so they make no sense.

For example:
"Not only do not I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised."

Sentence #1 and sentence #3 are identical. Also, criticized is spelled correctly in sentence #4.

The word "any" implies no compliments ever and the word "a" implies no compliment regarding a single event.

Lets see what the others say that have more experience in the structure of the English language.
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contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 03:53 pm
The only thing I disagree with in TTH's post is his assertion that "criticized" is spelt correctly in sentence number 4, if this means that he thinks that "criticised" is an incorrect spelling. I cannot tell if he is being deliberately provocative or if he genuinely thinks that he is correct.

"Criticized" is the most commonly used US English spelling, and "criticised" is the commonest British English spelling, although both spellings are "correct" in both forms of English. This applies to many other words with -ize or -ise endings. British English spelling is used in just about every English-speaking country outside the USA.
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Roberta
 
  1  
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 04:14 pm
If you start a sentence with "not only," I think (my personal preference, maybe) you should have a "but" in there. In an ideal world, you'd have a "but also." So from my perspective, the only sentence that's ok is the fourth one.
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tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 08:22 pm
Thanks, all my friends, for your reply.
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Sun 29 Jun, 2008 10:31 pm
Re: Are the sentences correct?
tanguatlay wrote:
1. Not only don't I receive any compliments, I constantly get criticised.

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

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

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

Are all the sentences correct? If so, what is the difference between the 4th and the other [questons] sentences?

Many thanks.


Am I missing something here? I must be 'cause they're all seem fine to me. I don't understand why they don't make sense, TTH.

For every one of them, wrt meaning, we can substitute,

I don't receive any/a compliment(s), and I also get criticised.

It's late, I've had a long day, maybe too much Sun, I'm knackered. Color me Confused .
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TTH
 
  1  
Reply Mon 30 Jun, 2008 07:15 am
contrex wrote:
The only thing I disagree with in TTH's post is his assertion that "criticized" is spelt correctly in sentence number 4, if this means that he thinks that "criticised" is an incorrect spelling. I cannot tell if he is being deliberately provocative or if he genuinely thinks that he is correct.
I thought I was genuinely correct contrex. Thanks for your correct explanation Smile
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