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Paco2004 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
"any longer" and "no longer"
Hello teachers
I am troubled with the position of "any longer" and "no longer".
(EX-1) You are not young any longer.
(EX-2) You are not any longer young.
(EX-3) You are no longer young.
(EX-4) You are young no longer.
I know #1 and #3 are correct and #4 is incorrect. But how about #2? Do you find it unnatural? If you think #2 is incorrect, could you give the reason?
paco
I am troubled with the position of "any longer" and "no longer".
(EX-1) You are not young any longer.
(EX-2) You are not any longer young.
(EX-3) You are no longer young.
(EX-4) You are young no longer.
I know #1 and #3 are correct and #4 is incorrect. But how about #2? Do you find it unnatural? If you think #2 is incorrect, could you give the reason?
paco
Top answer
Just to let you know I'm paying attention, Paco: #2 is indeed odd to me, but I can think of no reason, except that you are no longer instead collocates so firmly. #4 sounds literary-- I suppose because the whole sentence has to be composed before utterance, in contradistinction to #1, which seems to me to be produced in thought order: you aren't young... any longer .
- Just to let you know I'm paying attention, Paco: #2 is indeed odd to me, but I can think of no reason, except that you are no longer instead collocates so firmly.
- #4 sounds literary-- I suppose because the whole sentence has to be composed before utterance, in contradistinction to #1, which seems to me to be produced in thought order: you aren't young...
- any longer .
- The long and the short of it are that I find #1 (with the contraction) and #3 the only natural, standard forms.
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4 Answers
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Just to let you know I'm paying attention, Paco: #2 is indeed odd to me, but I can think of no reason, except that you are no longer instead collocates so firmly.
#4 sounds literary-- I suppose because the whole sentence has to be composed before utterance, in contradistinction to #1, which seems to me to be produced in thought order: you aren't young... any longer.
#4 sounds literary-- I suppose because the whole sentence has to be composed before utterance, in contradistinction to #1, which seems to me to be produced in thought order: you aren't young... any longer.
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Thank you, Mr Micawber, as usual. I'm glad to know my understanding is right. But it seems tough to tell it to a natives speaker who is insisting "I am not any longer young" is acceptable as standard English.
paco
paco
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Well, I understand these phrases as follows:
Any longer means - At the present or from now on; usually used with a negative
No Longer just means not now or no more. As you said No 1 and No. 3 are correct sentences, however the second one sounds like an unfamiliar usage of words.
Any longer means - At the present or from now on; usually used with a negative
No Longer just means not now or no more. As you said No 1 and No. 3 are correct sentences, however the second one sounds like an unfamiliar usage of words.
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Hi Anon
Thank you for the comment. The problem is some learners (or even native speakers) take as if "no longer" could be simply rephrased as "not any more" without changing the position of "any more". That is:
You are no longer young --> *) You are not any longer young.
It is a bit difficult to make them understand why <any longer> should be moved to
Thank you for the comment. The problem is some learners (or even native speakers) take as if "no longer" could be simply rephrased as "not any more" without changing the position of "any more". That is:
You are no longer young --> *) You are not any longer young.
It is a bit difficult to make them understand why <any longer> should be moved to
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