Negation scope

Question

SUBCLAUSAL NEGATIONa. It was no mean achievement, wasn't it?CLAUSAL NEGATIONb. It was no great deal, was it?I don't differentiate clearly between a. and b. The no in a. is in an attributive modifier in NP structure (no mean), whereas in b. the no is modifying the verb was? ? It seems to me that the no in b. is also an attributive modifier in NP structure (no great). i.e., I think the negation in b. is not clausal but subclausal. Am I wrong?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Both seem to me like examples of what you are calling subclausal negation. I see no difference.

As regards tags, in example A the natural tag is 'was it?'

BillJ · Answer

a. It was no mean achievement, wasn't it?

b. It was no great deal, was it?

Yes, you are wrong – a. has sub-clausal negation, and b. has clausal negation. The tags are correct.

There are a few tests that can be performed to establish the polarity of a clause, and thus whether it has clausal or sub-clausal negation:

Tags: In a. the tag is negative, meaning that the clause is positive, so the negation is sub-clausal, while in b. the tag is positive, so the clause is negative and the negation thus clausal.

Verbal equivalent: b. has an equivalent with verbal negation: It wasn't a great deal, whereas a. does not: *"It wasn't a mean achievement.

Addition of "neither": Negative clauses can take a "neither" phrase, while positive ones take "so". It was no great deal and neither was the other ~ It was no mean achievement and so was the other.

Negation scope

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