is I'LL NOT possible?
Hi!!!!
I know we can say either HE ISN'T or HE'S NOT, WE AREN'T or WE'RE NOT (and I think HE'S NOT, WE'RE NOT is becoming more frequent)...but what about
He'll not / He won't
We'll not / We won't
is He'll not, We'll not possible?
-We'll not be able to come to your party!-
Does it sound ok?!
Please help.
Many thanks.
G.
Logically "He'll not..." and "We'll not... " are correct but it's not heard in English.
Before the use of "not", they have to be uncontracted to "he will not" and "we will not" to sound okay.
And "he/we won't" is the only way to contract them.
A discussion of eugenics by Shakespeare - the nature-nurture controversy. From The Winter's Tale, IV.4.79-103:
PERDITA Sir, the year growing ancient,
Not yet on summer's death, nor on the birth
Of trembling winter, the fairest flowers o' the season
Are our carnations and streak'd gillyvors,
Which some call nature's bastards: of that kind
Our rustic garden's barren; and I care not
To get slips of them.
POLIXENES Wherefore, gentle maiden,
Do you neglect them?
PERDITA For I have heard it said
There is an art which in their piedness shares
With great creating nature.
POLIXENES Say there be;
Yet nature is made better by no mean
But nature makes that mean: so, over that art
Which you say adds to nature, is an art
That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry
A gentler scion to the wildest stock,
And make conceive a bark of baser kind
By bud of nobler race: this is an art
Which does mend nature, change it rather, but
The art itself is nature.
PERDITA So it is.
POLIXENES Then make your garden rich in gillyvors, And do not call them bastards.
PERDITA----------- I'll not put --------------------------------------!!!!!
The dibble in earth to set one slip of them;
No more than were I painted I would wish
This youth should say 'twere well and only therefore
Desire to breed by me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CALIBAN
How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.
I'll not serve him; he's not valiant
(Shakespeare. The Tempest)
I disagree with Guest. "I'll not" sounds more British to me, but there's nothing wrong with that construction, and I HAVE heard it used in ordinary speech.
I'll not say it's wrong nor even odd either. I've used it too.
In my idiolect, I would use "I won't", "we aren't", etc. As with Uriel, "I'll not" and "we'll not" sound a bit more British or archaic to me.