60%
Help the gloomy scientist predict the future! Select ALL the responses that are grammatically correct and natural ways to express a negative expectation using substitution.
"Will the time machine be fixed by Tuesday?"
The correct answers are I hope not, I don't think so, and I guess not.
When substituting a negative that-clause, English verbs behave in two different ways:
- Negative transfer: Verbs like think, believe, and suppose usually make the main verb negative and use "so" (e.g., "I don't think so").
- Direct negative: Verbs like hope and guess keep the main verb affirmative and use "not" for the substitute clause (e.g., "I hope not"). "I don't hope so" is grammatically incorrect!