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Tkacka15 Posted 8 years ago
Vocabulary

I knew you would come, but I was wrong.

I'm reading Aspects of the Theory of Syntax by Noam Chomsky, translated into my native tongue, Polish.

And I'm struggling to understand one sentence cited by the author when he writes about sentences of internal inconsistency. The sentence in question is I knew you would come, but I was wrong.

I understand that the example sentence (among others) I'm memorizing the score of the sonata I hope to compose some day is in obvious way inconsistent, but I can't exactly get where there is internal inconsistency with I knew you would come, but I was wrong.

  

Top answer

I'd hesitate to say that sentence is internally inconsistent.

— Clive

  • I'd hesitate to say that sentence is internally inconsistent.
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2 Answers
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I'd hesitate to say that sentence is internally inconsistent.

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tkacka15The sentence in question is I knew you would come, but I was wrong.

To me, the certainty of "knew" seems somewhat at odds with "I was wrong".

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