English Language & Usage Asked on April 6, 2021
Is there a difference between the following two sentences? Is the second sentence grammatically wrong?
Why would we not expect the body to revolt?
Why wouldn’t we expect the body to revolt?
Is it correct to say the first sentence puts an emphasis on the negation, meaning that it’s a bit shocking that we do not have that expectation?
In a comment, John Lawler scholared:
The first one allows the possibility of considering not expect as a complex predicate, as if someone had mentioned the possibility in prior discourse. The other question doesn't have that possibility, so it would be more natural in certain contexts where the other wouldn't. But normally one should contract auxiliaries and negatives wherever possible. Not contracting them draws attention to the auxiliary instead of the main verb.
Answered by tchrist on April 6, 2021
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