Words Negative in Meaning but Not in Form
In English, there are several adverbs and determiners that carry a negative meaning without being negative in form. These include:
- seldom, rarely
- scarcely, hardly, barely
- little, few (in contrast to the positive a little and a few)
Clausal Negation
These words can effect clausal negation. For example, they are often followed by nonassertive forms, and sentences containing them generally require a positive question tag:
✧ I seldom get any sleep, do I?
✧ Hardly anyone wants the job, do they?
✧ Few changes have ever taken so many people by surprise, have they?
✧ I can barely speak to any of my colleagues, can I?
✧ They scarcely seem to care, do they?
✧ They hardly have any friends, do they?
Subject-Operator Inversion
When these adverbs are placed at the beginning of a sentence, they often cause subject-operator inversion, especially in literary or oratorical styles:
✧ Rarely does crime pay so well as many people think, does it?
✧ Scarcely ever has the British nation suffered so much obloquy, has it?
✧ Little did I expect such enthusiasm from so many, did I?
Determiners and Noun Phrases
The adverbs scarcely, hardly, and barely can also function within a noun phrase subject, effecting clausal negation:
✧ Scarcely any wine has yet arrived, has it?
✧ Barely any arms were accumulated before the war, were they?
✧ Little help can be expected from Peter, can it?
✧ Hardly fifty people were in the vast hall, were they?
The Role of 'Only'
The word only can also carry a negative connotation. When it focuses on a subject noun phrase, the latter is followed by nonassertive items:
✧ Only two of us had any experience in sailing, didn't we?
When only focuses on a fronted initial element other than the subject, it may occasionally (but need not) take subject-operator inversion:
✧ Only his mother will he obey, will he?
✧ Only on Sundays do they eat with their children, do they?
Positive Use of 'Rarely'
Interestingly, rarely can be positive when placed initially, in which case it does not cause subject-operator inversion:
✧ Rarely, crime pays well, doesn't it? ['On rare occasions, crime pays well.']
Negative Question Tags
Speakers vary in their acceptance of negative question tags following these negative words. The question tags seem most acceptable when positioned close to the end of the sentence:
✧ He sees his parents rarely, doesn't he?
