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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Did
Hi,
"There are two big numbers that are helpful in thinking about what Congress and President Obama did, or did not, achieve this week." [From the BBC website.]
I understand that the first "did" in the sentence is for emphasis, but what about the second one: is this "did not" a negative or an emphasis as well?
Thank you.
"There are two big numbers that are helpful in thinking about what Congress and President Obama did, or did not, achieve this week." [From the BBC website.]
I understand that the first "did" in the sentence is for emphasis, but what about the second one: is this "did not" a negative or an emphasis as well?
Thank you.
Top answer
The first "did" is not so much about emphasis as making the sentence parallel. "
- The first "did" is not so much about emphasis as making the sentence parallel.
- "
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2 Answers
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The first "did" is not so much about emphasis as making the sentence parallel.
You could say "what [they] achieved and didn't achieve" or you could say "what [they] did or didn't achieve."
You could say "what [they] achieved and didn't achieve" or you could say "what [they] did or didn't achieve."
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