en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

The problem with "to not to": a closer look

Reviewed and edited by Anwar Kareem 10/10/2024, 11:42
English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

To not to or not to. What's correct?

Grammatical error

Why do people make this mistake?

People often mistakenly use "to not to" by confusing the placement of "not" within an infinitive phrase; it's an attempt to negate an action improperly.

What is correct?

"Not to" is the correct structure for expressing the negative form of an infinitive phrase in English.

Examples of correct usage

  • I told him not to go.
  • She asked us not to make noise.
  • They decided not to attend the meeting.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Why "he seen" doesn't see the light of proper grammar

Why "he seen" doesn't see the light of proper grammar

People often make this error due to the influence of ... Learn more →

The siege of "seige": a common slip-up in writing

The siege of "seige": a common slip-up in writing

The error occurs because of the confusion in vowel order, ... Learn more →

Why "make an appearance with" misses the mark

Why "make an appearance with" misses the mark

People often mistakenly mix up common phrases or collocations. In ... Learn more →

What’s the issue with saying the extend?

What’s the issue with saying the extend?

People often confuse "extend" and "extent" because they sound similar ... Learn more →