it's not/it isn't

[Paula Gaon]

6July04

Sophie wrote:


Here's a question for all you native English-speakers. I've long wanted to know the answer to this question, but it only recently occurred to me to try my luck on this list:

Is there any difference in tone and or usage between saying "it's
not" and "it isn't"?

Paula now:

Good question!  I've taught English as a foreign language for a few years, and still really wonder the same thing myself.  The two expressions are always presented in the grammar books as simply alternate ways of saying the same thing.  However, as a native speaker, have always gotten the feeling that "It's not." is much more forceful than "It isn't."  For example, from childhood always remembered kids on the playground yelling, "It's not, either!"  But the teacher would say, "It isn't correct, polite, etc."

You know, now that I think of it, this is probably one of those things discussed in a  linguistics PhD thesis somewhere...

~Paula Gaon

 




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