Alik Bairamov
Can I say "I think we've not met before" instead of "I don't think we've met before"?
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الإجابات · 6
4
No, we wouldn't say that. We would always phrase this statement as "I don't think we've met before". Or, if you wanted to say 'we've not met before', you'd use a tag question: "We've not met before, have we?" If you were to say "I think we've not met before" people would understand you, but it would sound strange and unnatural. A general rule is that we always put the negative element as near to the beginning of the statement as we can.
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1
"I think we've not met before" is formal and less said. The 2nd is more idiomatic and far better to say if you want to sound natural.
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the first option sounds more british. they use "have" in "-'ve" more often. it's unusual to use the negative like that in american english at least. much more common to hear the second
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Thank you very much, Trisha!
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You can and will be understood by English speakers, but it sounds quite formal. "I don't think we've met before" is much more common.
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