[Fwd: can/can't]

[Donald M. Lance]

Oh me oh my, surely the underlying presuppositions can't be the same. When one utters
"I'll see if I can't do X," is one setting out to demonstrate that one is incapable of
doing X or unwilling to do X?
DMLance

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: Mai Kuha <mkuha at altavista.com> said:

Can "can" and "can't" be distinguished in that context? I thought they sounded (almost) identical.

-Mai

On Fri, 21 July 2000, "Donald M. Lance" wrote:

> And then there's "I'll try and see if I can't do that."  My stock response, when
> opportunity occurs, is "Why don't you try to see if you CAN do it?"
> DMLance

Mai Kuha
Department of English
Ball State University
mkuha at altavista.com

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