‘Not sure if it is.’ (NOT + non-finite or ellipted clause) – English Grammar Profiler
Let’s look at the most common examples of non-finite or ellipted clauses used after ‘not’.
Usually, we would say:
- I am not sure if it is possible.
But we can remove the subject and verb to make an ellipted clause:
- Not sure if it is possible.
We can also say:
- This is a petrol car which should not be confused with an electric car. (people often think the two cars are the same, but they shouldn’t get confused about them.)
We can rewrite this with the same meaning:
This is a petrol car – not to be confused with an electric car. (non-finite TO-infinitive)
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 16 in NEGATION is defined:
‘NOT’ before a non-finite or ellipted clause
The above point can be extended with Pearson’s GSE 55 B1+:
- express dislike using ‘not’ with verbs in the gerund.
- NP + ‘hate/don’t like/etc.’ + ‘not’ + VP gerund
- I hate not arriving on time.
- I don’t like not knowing where she is.
*Note, that ‘Not’ + gerund in a subordinate clause is C1
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
I really like the idea of not having to miss my dogs!
Spanish female, level 3 writing class.
A list of ‘NOT’ at the start of sentences:
An iWeb search for:
Not * * *
*We have removed ‘not only’ because it is B2 in the EVP and other repeated entries.
4 . NOT TO MENTION the 12884
(non-finite infinitive = TO mention)
The resort has great hotels and restaurants, not to mention some of the best skiing in the region.
(‘not to mention’ is listed at B2 in the English Vocabulary Profile)
18 . NOT SURE IF IT 3998
- thetruckersreport.com Not sure if it is.
- sia.tech Not sure if it’s possible.
25 . NOT BAD FOR A 2910
I actually used an online mission statement generator for this talk to see what would come back.
” The mission of my TED talk is to offer smart insights
with empathy, care and thoughtfulness.“
Not bad for a computer.
TED
26 . NOT A LOT OF 2888
In the English Vocabulary Profile, not a/one is C1 = used to emphasize that there is nothing of what you are talking about
They say not one boy in ten is coming home to these mountains.
Interstellar
However, many of these examples are considered by the English Grammar Profile as C2 negation:
Not a lot of people know about this place.
listen
27 . NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE 2799
35 . NOT BEING ABLE TO 2402
Not being able to drive, I caught a taxi. (C1)
37 . NOT A BIG DEAL 2377
39 . NOT ALL OF THEM 2231
41 . NOT AT ALL. 2123
44 . NOT ALL OF THE 2076
53 . NOT TO BE CONFUSED 1726
59 . NOT TO SAY THAT 1571
62 . NOT LONG AFTER, 1532
68 . NOT TO WORRY, 1374
69 . NOT TO BE OUTDONE 1299
71 . NOT THAT I ‘M 1255
73 . NOT A FAN OF 1240 75 . NOT ALL OF THESE 1193
78 . NOT LONG AGO, 1152
80 . NOT TOO LONG AGO 1063
87 . NOT MUCH OF A 924
88 . NOT ALL OF US 923
91 . NOT BAD AT ALL 892 92 . NOT MUCH IS KNOWN 875
94 . NOT GOOD . 872
100 . NOT THAT I DO 817
Here is a list of Preposition + NOT + verbING
_I not _VV
*we have removed incorrectly tagged ‘to’
1 OF NOT KNOWING 3715 2 FOR NOT GETTING 3476 3 OF NOT GETTING 3283 4 FOR NOT TAKING 2663 5 ABOUT NOT GETTING 2535 6 FOR NOT PAYING 2448 7 FOR NOT USING 2397 8 BY NOT USING 2360 9 FOR NOT MAKING 2343 10 FOR NOT KNOWING 2339
11 FOR NOT GIVING 2185
13 BY NOT ALLOWING 2065
14 FOR NOT WANTING 2000
16 OF NOT USING 1726 17 OF NOT TAKING 1546 18 OF NOT WANTING 1531 19 BY NOT TAKING 1466 20 FOR NOT GOING 1431 21 FOR NOT FOLLOWING 1422 22 ABOUT NOT WANTING 1308
23 OF NOT MAKING 1269
25 OF NOT PAYING 1125 26 BY NOT GIVING 1116 27 BY NOT PAYING 1114 28 BY NOT GETTING 1064 29 FOR NOT WEARING 1037 30 OF NOT GIVING 1037 31 ABOUT NOT USING 967 32 FOR NOT PROVIDING 962 33 BY NOT MAKING 939 34 FOR NOT KEEPING 925 35 ABOUT NOT KNOWING 922 36 FOR NOT MEETING 883 37 FOR NOT LETTING 878
38 FOR NOT ALLOWING 876
40 FOR NOT PUTTING 827
41 BY NOT GOING 804
43 FOR NOT TELLING 781 44 OF NOT SEEING 777 45 FOR NOT SHOWING 775 46 OF NOT EATING 773 47 OF NOT ALLOWING 772 48 BY NOT LETTING 754 49 BY NOT BUYING 737
50 OF NOT GOING 732
53 FOR NOT BUYING 696 54 BY NOT EATING 682 55 FOR NOT COMING 678 56 FROM NOT KNOWING 659 57 BY NOT PROVIDING 652 58 FOR NOT RESPONDING 652 59 FOR NOT COMPLYING 639 60 OF NOT LETTING 635 61 FOR NOT TRYING 630 62 OF NOT NEEDING 627 63 OF NOT PLAYING 599 64 OF NOT MEETING 591 65 WITH NOT KNOWING 586 66 FOR NOT WORKING 573 67 OF NOT WORKING 565 68 BY NOT KNOWING 564 69 FOR NOT READING 559 70 IN NOT KNOWING 549 71 FOR NOT SEEING 542 72 OF NOT FEELING 542 73 FOR NOT PLAYING 520
74 FOR NOT THINKING 520
76 ABOUT NOT LETTING 508 77 FOR NOT BELIEVING 504 78 ABOUT NOT MAKING 499 79 FOR NOT POSTING 496 80 OF NOT CARING 485
81 FOR NOT ATTENDING 476
83 ABOUT NOT TAKING 470 84 WITH NOT GETTING 462 85 DESPITE NOT KNOWING 459 86 FOR NOT CHECKING 456 87 BY NOT PUTTING 443 88 OF NOT FOLLOWING 443
89 BY NOT FOLLOWING 439
91 FOR NOT LOOKING 430 92 ABOUT NOT GOING 427 93 FOR NOT ACCEPTING 426
94 FOR NOT LIKING 419
96 FOR NOT SUPPORTING 404 97 FOR NOT EATING 396 98 OF NOT WEARING 390 99 FOR NOT REPORTING 389
100 OF NOT REQUIRING 388
Vocabulary in the above:
A2: able, ago, believing, by, checking, even, fan, following, if, keeping, letting, posting, sure, trying B1: accepting, allowing, attending, caring, confused, despite, mention, providing, reporting, requiring, supporting, surprisingly B2: deal, responding C1:
complying
The following search is for a lexical verb + NOT + verbING
_VV not VVG
1 RECOMMEND NOT USING 869 2 UNDERSTAND NOT WANTING 493 3 SUGGEST NOT USING 389 4 REGRET NOT GETTING 367 5 REGRET NOT TAKING 272 6 REGRET NOT GOING 233 7 CONTROLS NOT WORKING 226 8 RECOMMEND NOT GOING 206 9 REGRET NOT BUYING 201 10 SAVES NOT WORKING 195 11 LIKE NOT KNOWING 191 12 RISK NOT GETTING 190 13 CONSIDER NOT USING 163 14 YOURE NOT GOING 157 15 LIKE NOT GETTING 126 16 MEANS NOT USING 125 17 RECOMMEND NOT TAKING 124 18 HATE NOT KNOWING 122 19 MEANS NOT GETTING 120 20 TRY NOT USING 119 21 TIME NOT EXCEEDING 118 22 RECOMMENDS NOT USING 113 23 IMAGINE NOT USING 110 24 LEFT NOT KNOWING 108 25 RECOMMEND NOT TRYING 108 26 SUGGEST NOT GOING 108 27 MEANS NOT TAKING 102 28 REGRET NOT MAKING 99 29 YOURE NOT GETTING 99 30 RECOMMEND NOT BUYING 96 31 RECOMMEND NOT GETTING 95 32 REGRET NOT TRYING 91 33 IMAGINE NOT KNOWING 85 34 LIKE NOT USING 82 35 APP NOT WORKING 78 36 RECOMMEND NOT PUTTING 75 37 SUGGEST NOT GETTING 75 38 TIME NOT EATING 74 39 REGRET NOT SPENDING 73 40 REGRETTED NOT GETTING 73 41 REMEMBER NOT LIKING 71 42 SUGGEST NOT TAKING 70 43 TIME NOT GETTING 68 44 ADVISE NOT USING 66 45 SEEMS NOT WORKING 66 46 UNDERSTAND NOT LIKING 65 47 PREFER NOT USING 64 48 SUGGEST NOT BUYING 64 49 MEANS NOT EATING 63 50 MEANS NOT GOING 63 51 REMEMBER NOT KNOWING 63 52 CONSIDER NOT GOING 61 53 MEANS NOT LETTING 61 54 MIND NOT GETTING 59 55 REGRETTED NOT TAKING 59 56 CONSIDER NOT TAKING 56 57 FAN NOT WORKING 56 58 LIKE NOT EATING 56 59 REGRETTING NOT GETTING 56 60 FOUND NOT BREATHING 55 61 LIKE NOT WEARING 54 62 MEANS NOT ALLOWING 53 63 MEANS NOT GIVING 53 64 RECOMMEND NOT MAKING 53 65 REGRET NOT USING 52 66 REMEMBER NOT WANTING 52 67 TIME NOT KNOWING 51 68 MEAN NOT GETTING 50 69 SUGGEST NOT TRYING 50 70 GET NOT WANTING 49 71 THATS NOT GOING 48 72 MEANS NOT MAKING 47 73 REPORTED NOT USING 47 74 TRIED NOT USING 47 75 CONTROL NOT WORKING 46 76 RECOMMEND NOT READING 46 77 LIKE NOT LETTING 45 78 MEAN NOT USING 45 79 REGRETTED NOT GOING 45 80 CAUGHT NOT WEARING 44 81 IMAGINE NOT WORKING 44 82 INCLUDE NOT USING 44 83 LINK NOT WORKING 44 84 REGRET NOT SEEING 44 85 INCLUDES NOT USING 43 86 MEANS NOT PUTTING 43 87 REGRET NOT BRINGING 43 88 REGRET NOT GIVING 41 89 YOURE NOT SEEING 41 90 SUGGEST NOT PUTTING 40 91 LIKE NOT ALLOWING 39 92 LIKE NOT GOING 39 93 TIME NOT WANTING 39 94 UPDATE NOT WORKING 39 95 SUGGEST NOT MAKING 38 96 TIME NOT MAKING 38 97 DIED NOT KNOWING 37 98 MEANS NOT LEAVING 37 99 REGRET NOT ASKING 37
100 TRY NOT EATING 37