it's not/it isn't

bluesqueak pipdowns at etchells0.demon.co.uk
Tue Jul 6 16:48:58 UTC 2004


 > Sophia 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"?
> 

I think it's the tone, really. 'It's not' is usually more emphatic. 
Both are a contraction of the same phrase - It is not - but the 
emphasis in 'It's not' is firmly on the 'not'.

'No, it isn't raining,' has an undertone of 'I've just looked out 
the window'. 

'No, it's not raining,' has an undertone of 'I've just looked out of 
the window AGAIN'. Or, alternatively, 'it's been raining all day and 
now it's not raining. Wow.'

Pip



 





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