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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
not + adjective
Do these mean the same?
She is a not unattractive woman.
She is an attractive woman.
She is a not unattractive woman.
She is an attractive woman.
Top answer
No. "Not x" allows for the possibility of a middle ground. Just because a woman is not unattractive doesn't mean she is attractive.
- No.
- "Not x" allows for the possibility of a middle ground.
- Just because a woman is not unattractive doesn't mean she is attractive.
- She might be merely average-looking - neither attractive nor unattractive.
- A phrasing like this is usually used basically to mean "I don't think <noun> is <adjective>, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that <noun> is <opposite of original adjective>".
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4 Answers
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No.
"Not x" allows for the possibility of a middle ground. Just because a woman is not unattractive doesn't mean she is attractive. She might be merely average-looking - neither attractive nor unattractive. A phrasing like this is usually used basically to mean "I don't think <noun> is <adjective>, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that <noun> is <opposite of orig
"Not x" allows for the possibility of a middle ground. Just because a woman is not unattractive doesn't mean she is attractive. She might be merely average-looking - neither attractive nor unattractive. A phrasing like this is usually used basically to mean "I don't think <noun> is <adjective>, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that <noun> is <opposite of orig
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She is a not unattractive woman.
The order "She is not an unattractive woman" is typical.
While I agree with CSnyder technically, in my experience the phrase is most often used to indicate that she is definitely attractive, although not necessarily exceptionally so.
Best regards, - A.
The order "She is not an unattractive woman" is typical.
While I agree with CSnyder technically, in my experience the phrase is most often used to indicate that she is definitely attractive, although not necessarily exceptionally so.
Best regards, - A.
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AvangiShe is a not unattractive woman.The order "She is not an unattractive woman" is typical.You mean more typical than, She is a not unattractive woman.?
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