what's the grammer about "if not more" in this sentence?
Teachers who work in public schools in rural areas should be
paid as much, if not more, than their counterparts in cities.
Sep 18, 2019 2:11 AM
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Answers · 7
汉语中也有类似的表达:
我们认识了很久了,没有十年,也有八年了。
(我们认识很久了,应该有八年了,如果不是十年的话。)
We've known each other for a long time, probably eight years, if not ten.
September 18, 2019
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You can think of 'if not more' as short for 'if not that, then more'.
The idea as Samuel said, is that the part before it is the minimum acceptable.
Usually there is an implied suggestion that it should in fact be more.
September 18, 2019
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Thank you ~
September 18, 2019
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It’s saying that at minimum the rural teachers should be receiving equal pay to those in cities, though it would be acceptable for them to be paid more. “If not more” used in this way is more or less synonymous with “it would be okay if”.