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Negation or condition


If you hadn’t studied hard and got good qualifications, you might have ended up in a boring, low-paying job.

Hi Paul,

I hope you’re doing well.

The above sentence is somewhat ambiguous on the scope of negation, which is obviously a clause-level negation (or clausal negation). There are possibly two elements that could be governed by the negation: one is much closer to negative marker "not" (studied) and the other is co-ordinated with the first one (got good qualifications).

For the first one, I really don’t have any issues. The second one, in contrast, can logically be argued that it could go either way. That is, it could either be taken into the negative phenomenon created by the word “not” or it could well be just the second conditional element that is governed by the conditional marker “if”, which is at the beginning of the subordinate clause.

When the second possibility is taken into consideration, i.e. if “got good qualifications” is part of condition, there will be a striking semantic difference than what would be meant when the other aspect is considered — i.e. being considered as part of negation.

1- If you hadn’t studied hard and [not] got good qualifications…
2- If you hadn’t studied hard and [if you] got good qualifications…

These are the two possible, semantically disparate, interpretations. So, what is really being co-ordinated by the coordinator “and”? Is that combining part of negation and condition or just part of condition alone? How do we generally analyse these circumstances?

I am sorry if I've written much.

Thanks.

Re: Negation or condition

Hi Nifras,

I'm fine, thanks.

Since the negative inflection is on the auxiliary verb "had", the if clause is most likely to be interpreted as a case of 'primary verbal negation', and hence it is a negative clause:

If you hadn’t [studied hard] and [got good qualifications], you might have ended up in a boring, low-paying job

I've bracketed the two coordinates which form the main part of the VP, from which I think we can assume that the meaning is If you hadn't studied hard and if you hadn't got good qualifications. The second coordinate has to be governed by the negator otherwise removing the first coordinate and its negator would give the unintended meaning If you got good qualifications, you might have ended up in a boring job.



PaulM

Re: Negation or condition

Yes and yes. Thank you sir.