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Kooyeen Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I can't believe it!

0 Hi,02br
00I kow the idiomatic expression is 01b00"I don't believe it"02b00 when you want to express surprise:02br
01b00You spent one thousand dollars for a pencil? I 01u00don't02u00 believe it!02br
00Hey! Look! It's Lance Armstrong! I 01u00don't02u00 believe it!02b02br
02br
00Is "can't" as idiomatic as "don't"? I don't believe it! ---> I can't believe it!02br
01b00You spent one thousand dollars for a pencil? I 01u00can't02u00 believe it!02br
00 Hey! Look! Lance Armstrong is here! I 01u00can't02u00 believe it!02b02br
02br
00Thank you 050010id1
  

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7 Answers
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0 I'd use 02br
01i00I can't ....02i0-
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0Either can't or don't or both work for me.02br
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00I can see no difference in the idiomatic usage.02br
02br
00Stannum0-
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0Kooyeen, if you really want to sound American, then you just say "No way!"0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Grammar Geek12cite10Kooyeen, if you really want to sound American, then you just say "No way!"12blockquote
10Heh, I tend to use that a lot. But considering "I can't believe it" and "I don't believe it", they are equally good, aren't they? (like Stannum say for Australian English)02br
00Thank you al
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0 Yup. Equally good.02br
02br
00 CJ0-
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0 Thank you. [y]0-
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0I find the distribution slightly different; thus:02br
02br
001. You spent £10 on that pencil? I don't believe it!02br
02br
00but02br
02br
002. I can't believe you spent £10 on that pencil!02br
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00(Though "nil admirari" is best.)02br
02br
00MrP0-
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