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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

It won't take but a minute.

I heard this sentence, which made me slightly dizzy. I thought that, from the context, it should mean "it won't take long", but if that is what was meant, couldn't the speaker also have said, "It will take only a minute." or "It will take but a minute."? If so, there's no difference between "will" and "won't" in this case? Or perhaps, does it sound a little more emphatic to say "It won't take but a minute."? Could anyone enlighten me on this, please?
  

Top answer

Hi, I agree with you. It seems like a double negative when you think about it. Yet it doesn't sound all that odd, and it lends more emphasis.

— Clive

  • Hi, I agree with you.
  • It seems like a double negative when you think about it.
  • Yet it doesn't sound all that odd, and it lends more emphasis.
  • Clive
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2 Answers
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Hi,

I agree with you. It seems like a double negative when you think about it. Yet it doesn't sound all that odd, and it lends more emphasis.

Clive
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It is just another way of saying the same. The speaker has probably used this construction to emphasize a desired impact (urgency).
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