correct verb

"Not allowed" is, I believe, allowed.

Hi Dlowan

Your answer confuses rather than helps me.

I believe you are wrong.

I'm from the opposite side of the world from dlowan and I agree with her. I can't think why someone would have told you that you couldn't use "not allowed". Both of your sentences would be fine in America.

I believe you wanted to say 'Not allowed' is 'prohibited'.

Not at all...the exact opposite.

Can another member confirm the above makes sense. I'm very confused.

Re: correct verb


As regards meaning and the net effect, 'not allowed = 'prohibited'.

'allowed' = 'not prohibited'

Would you be able to locate and quote here what you read that suggested this, Tanguatlay? It might help us figure out the problem.

Hi JTT

It will take some time to locate the book in which I found the prescription.

I'll try, but it will take some time.

In the meantime, let the case stand as it is.

Many thanks to you.

dlowan is engaging in a bit of word play. What she is saying is that you are allowed to use "not allowed" in the sentence. deb is cool. she gives good advice. and she is right. I think all the native speakers agree that both of your sample sentences are correct.

When she said that "not allowed" is allowed, it meant that you as the sentence writer are allowed to use the phrase "not allowed" (in other words, that phrase is correct). From your reply, you might be thinking that she was saying that the meaning of "not allowed" was the same as the meaning of "allowed" (which I think is why you wanted to substitute "prohibited" in her reply). She did not mean that--the presence of the quotation marks in her reply indicates that she is talking ABOUT that phrase and saying it is okay to use it. She is not trying to say "not allowed" means the same as "allowed"