Page 378 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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'Is it true that ... not ...7'
A negative question can also ask for confirmation of a negative belief. In this case the question expects the answer No, and means 'Is it true that ... not ...1'
Don't you feel well? (= Am I right in thinking you don't feel well?)
Oh, dear. Can't they come this evening?
This kind of negative question can show that the speaker is surprised that something has not happened or is not happening.
Hasn't the postman come yet?
Didn't the alarm go off? 1 wonder what's wrong with it.
polite requests. invitations. offers. complaints and criticisms
Pressing invitations and offers often begin Won't you . ..? Wouldn't you . ..1 or Why don't you ...1
Won't you come in for a few minutes?
Wouldn't you like something to drink?
Why don't you come and spend the weekend with us?
But in other cases we do not usually use negative questions to ask people to do things. This is done with ordinary questions, or with negative statement + question tag.
Excuse me, can you help me for a moment? (ordinary question, used as a request)
You can't help me for a moment, can you? (negative statement + question tag, common in informal requests)
BUT NOT CAn't)'6tt ."'elp me JiJ,. II nttJment?
Negative questions may be understood as complaints or criticisms.
Can', you lend me your pen for a minute? (= something like 'Are you too
selfish to lend me ...1')
Don't you ever listen to what 1 say? yes and no
In a reply to a negative question, Yes suggests an affirmative verb, and No suggests a negative verb. Compare:
- Haven't you wriuen to Mary? - Yes. (= I have written to her.)
Haven't you told her about us? -No. (= I haven't told her about us.) - Didn't the postman come this morning? '" Yes, he did.
Didn't he bring anythingfor me? -No, he didn't.
3
negative structures (3): think, hope, seem etc 369
negative structures (3): think, hope, seem etc 1 Idon'tthink...
When we introduce negative ideas with think, believe, suppose, imagine and words with similar meanings, we usually make the first verb (think etc) negative, not the second.
1 don't think you've met my wife.
(More natural than 1 think you haven't met my wife.)
1 don't belwve she's at home.
(More natural than 1 believe she isn't at home.)
However, surprise is often expressed with 1 thought + negative.
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