Negative-Contrastive Constructions in Standard Modern English

Abstract

T HERE ARE SEVERAL negative constructions in English which have been infrequently, and then superficially, examined. We shall here investigate only one of these-but one which participates in several transformations and involves all the major form classes. This construction is characterized by the particle not used to introduce and modify an element contrastive with a parallel positive element. We call such phenomena negative-contrastive constructions, and shall first examine those headed by nouns. Negative-contrastive constructions headed by nouns or noun phrases permit several transformations. The examples below provide an initial survey. (There seems to be a certain variability in the junctural patterns applied to these constructions by different speakers. Throughout this article we indicate by commas or dashes what seem to be the most common patterns: we find no firmly established conventions for punctuation.) la. Business, not pleasure, is the purpose of my visit. b. Not pleasure, but business, is the purpose of my visit. 2a. My purpose is business, not pleasure. b. My purpose is not pleasure(,) but business. 3a. Those books-not this one-are acceptable. b. Those books-but not this one-are acceptable. c. Not this book, but those, are acceptable. 4a. This book-not those-is acceptable. b. This book-but not those-is acceptable. c. Not those books, but this one, is acceptable. A comparison of Nos. la and lb with Nos. 2a and 2b indicates that when a negative-contrastive (noun-headed) construction occurs post-verbally, juncture between its two elements is optional if the negative element precedes the positive. Otherwise and elsewhere the junctural pattern is set: the second element is set off by double-bar junctures, as if a nonrestrictive element. It should be immediately noted, however, that the element so set off is not necessarily the nonrestrictive of the two: in Nos. 3c and 4c, as in No. lb, a quite different situation prevails. A simple dropping test proves that it is