not easy

Question

You won't find it easy to do it in any other country.Is it grammatically possible to sayYou will find it not easy to do it in any other country.instead without changing the meaning?

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

You will find it IS not easy to do it in any other country.

The first sounds a little like a warning. "Go ahead and try... but you won't find it easy."

The second sounds more like a general observation - perhaps based on what you've discovered yourself and you're sharing what you've learned.

But the overall meaning is the same: Iin other countries, whatever it is you are trying to do will not be easily accomplished.

Taka · Answer

Grammar GeekYou will find it IS not easy to do it in any other country.

Thank you for your comments, but my question is whether it makes sense or not without such 'is' as you mentioned.

Marius Hancu · Answer

I agree with GG.

In the first, the negative feeling is in the action.
In the 2nd, the negative feeling is in the results.

Bottom line, probably the same, at a first read.

I think it could work even in the simplified:
You will find it not easy to do in any other country.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Without the "is" it doesn't sound natural to my ears. I can't explain why, because "You will find it difficult" is okay, but "You will find it not easy" is not. Perhaps it is "an American thing" and in other countries it sounds fine.

Marius Hancu · Answer

Grammar Geek<>Without the "is" it doesn't sound natural to my ears. I can't explain why, because "You will find it difficult" is okay, but "You will find it not easy" is not. Perhaps it is "an American thing" and in other countries it sounds fine.

I don't know, I've just found these:

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Frances says:

Have you ever worked in a political campaign? I think if you do you
will find it is not easy getting a progressive elected in many parts
of the country.

Even in progressive Montgomery County Maryland, it was hard to defeat
the Republican incumbent, Connie Morella. Connie was much more
moderate than many Blue Dog Dems.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1310131
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You will find it not easy to start and you will find that the task
will never be finished.

Read and Pray Every Day, Psalm 119, by Jeremy Myers
[http://www.tillhecomes.org/Text%20Sermons/Psalms/Psalm%20119%20Overview.htm[/url]
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You will find it not easy to keep upon it always, but remember if you
do get off struggle back to it. I do not know but I think *** loves
the effort to do as well as the act done.

Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis
[/url]
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MrPedantic · Answer

That's an interesting one.

1. You won't find it easy to do it in any other country.

— Here, the first "it" is a dummy "it". The second "it" refers to "something else". Possible context:

1a. You could move to England and set up a business selling England football shirts. But you won't find it easy to do it in any other country.

— i.e. but you won't find it [dummy] easy to [set up your business] in any other country.

2. ?You will find it not easy to do it in any other country.

— Here, "not easy to do" has to modify the first "it". This is only possible if the first "it" refers to something else, and isn't a dummy "it". And if the first "it" refers to something else, "not easy to do" can't take an object. So you have to change it to:

2a. You will find it not easy to do in any other country.

(i.e "you will find it not-easy-to-do in any other country").

The difference (to my ears) is an additional emphasis on the "not being easy to do", in 2a.

MrP

Clive · Answer

Hi guys,

Is it grammatically possible to say You will find it not easy to do it in any other country.

In addition to what's been said already, here's a couple more comments.

It seems to me you could say 'difficult' instead of 'not easy' and it would seem reasonably OK. So, I don't think using 'not easy' makes it ungrammatical.

The oddness we feel is perhaps partly because it is a bit wordy. Perhaps one could just say You will find it not easy in any other country.

Best wishes, Clive

Taka · Answer

CliveIt seems to me you could say 'difficult' instead of 'not easy' and it would seem reasonably OK. So, I don't think using 'not easy' makes it ungrammatical.

Hmm...so you have a little different opinion from MrP's; you don't think it's ungrammatical-~~it's just wordy~~-whereas MrP think it is...

MrPedantic · Answer

Hmm. After reading Clive's comment, it lurches into focus again.

"You will find it not easy to do" sends us down a particular track; then the second "it" makes us jump the rails, which gives an impression of "ungrammaticality". But perhaps it is possible to read it in a second, grammatical way.

MrP

CalifJim · Answer

Is it grammatically possible to say
You will find it not easy to do it in any other country.
instead without changing the meaning?
In my opinion, no. Sometimes the negative is just in the wrong place, rendering the whole sentence ungrammatical.

*Jane earns not much money.
Jane doesn't earn much money.
*Sally talked to not many guys at the party.
Sally didn't talk to many guys at the party.
*John had Bill not leave.
John had Bill stay.
John didn't have Bill leave.
*I consider John not stupid.
I consider John bright.
I don't consider John stupid.
*We feared John not alive.
We feared John dead.
*Most people find syntax not interesting.
Most people don't find syntax interesting.
Most people find syntax uninteresting.
*I consider the president not responsable.
I don't consider the president responsable.
*I imagine such a thing not conceivable.
I imagine such a thing inconceivable.
*The general believes it not avoidable.
The general does not believe it avoidable.
The general believes it inevitable.
*Teenagers sometimes imagine themselves not happy in the future.
Teenagers sometimes imagine themselves unhappy in the future.
*The reviewer judged the book not simple.
The reviewer did not judge the book simple.
The reviewer judged the book complex.
*The experts proclaimed the new methodology not perfect.
The experts proclaimed the new methodology flawed.

Note that the solution is always to promote the negative to the main clause or to find the corresponding negative one-word adjective you need, whichever makes the most sense for the given sentence.

Some exceptions occur when the "not" becomes part of a grouping of words that can be considered a label of some kind:

The inspector declared the meat 'not fit for human consumption'.
The jury found the defendant 'not guilty'.

Much of this hinges around theories of the "small clause", on which I do not consider myself an expert.
(*on which I consider myself not an expert!)

CJ

P.S. I think the use of two kinds of itin the original post is no more than a pesky distraction.

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