0
Twistedthistle Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
"What might it not"
Hi everyone,
I've just come across the following sentence:
"What secrets might that tomb not conceal to cause an aura of evil and despair?"
And i was a little thrown by the "not."
Surely, i thought, "What secrets might the tomb conceal..." would make more sense.
But then i got to thinking about it, and indeed there is a recollection in the back of my mind of such a usage.
"What might I not do if I had the power of a god?" etc, and then this from google:
"David's mind, with its equity, its balance, and its fire—what might it not have accomplished in shepherding such a cause, guiding its activity? "
So my question is: Can anyone cite a reference to this type of usage (grammar book, style guide etc)? OR, can anyone walk me through the logic of this usage, It seems so strangely incorrect, and yet at the same time...not so.
As ever, your help is much appreciated,
TT
I've just come across the following sentence:
"What secrets might that tomb not conceal to cause an aura of evil and despair?"
And i was a little thrown by the "not."
Surely, i thought, "What secrets might the tomb conceal..." would make more sense.
But then i got to thinking about it, and indeed there is a recollection in the back of my mind of such a usage.
"What might I not do if I had the power of a god?" etc, and then this from google:
"David's mind, with its equity, its balance, and its fire—what might it not have accomplished in shepherding such a cause, guiding its activity? "
So my question is: Can anyone cite a reference to this type of usage (grammar book, style guide etc)? OR, can anyone walk me through the logic of this usage, It seems so strangely incorrect, and yet at the same time...not so.
As ever, your help is much appreciated,
TT
Top answer
My first thought is that it sounds rhetorical in nature. Consider these simple examples. eg He is an evil man.
- My first thought is that it sounds rhetorical in nature.
- Consider these simple examples.
- eg He is an evil man.
- What dreadful acts might he perform?
- This sounds as if the speaker is thinking of a long list of dreadful acts.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
5 Answers
0
My first thought is that it sounds rhetorical in nature.
Consider these simple examples.
eg He is an evil man. What dreadful acts might he perform? This sounds as if the speaker is thinking of a long list of dreadful acts.
eg He is
Consider these simple examples.
eg He is an evil man. What dreadful acts might he perform? This sounds as if the speaker is thinking of a long list of dreadful acts.
eg He is
00
Hi Clive, thanks for your reply,
Yes, i think you're probably right. Especially with phrases such as: "What would I do to become king? What would I NOT do?" - meaning, "I would literally do ANYTHING to become king".
However, in the first example i gave, "What secrets might the tomb not conceal..." this meaning doesn't quite seem to fit.
Would you agree?
Yes, i think you're probably right. Especially with phrases such as: "What would I do to become king? What would I NOT do?" - meaning, "I would literally do ANYTHING to become king".
However, in the first example i gave, "What secrets might the tomb not conceal..." this meaning doesn't quite seem to fit.
Would you agree?
00
It fits.
Question - "What secrets might the tomb not conceal..."
Answer - None There are no secrets that it might not conceal. In other words, it might conceal every possible secret in the world.
Clive
Question - "What secrets might the tomb not conceal..."
Answer - None There are no secrets that it might not conceal. In other words, it might conceal every possible secret in the world.
Clive
00
twistedthistleCan anyone cite a reference to this type of usagePleonastic negation. It's of limited use in English, but it does occur in the sort of construction you quoted here ('might not') and also after 'wonder if' ('I wonder if they aren't planning to elope.')
I wonder if you might not ( ! ) find something more about this by Googling 'pl
00
CJ, you are a dream, thank you. I shall google it immediately!
0
Related Questions