a. I do not believe that anything he says is true.
b, I don't believe anything he says.
Aren't those sentences ambiguous?
First meaning: I believe that nothing he says is true/nothing he says.
Second meaning: I do not believe that just anything he says is true/just anything he says. Some are and some are not.
Many thanks
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You are correct that the sentences can be interpreted in different ways. Let's break them down:
a. "I do not believe that anything he saysis true."
This sentence implies that the person believes everything the speaker says is false. It does not leave room for any exceptions.
b. "I don't believe anything he says."
This sentence could be interpreted in two ways:
- The person doesnis true." This sentence could have two interpretations:
- The speaker does not believe that any statement made by the person in question is true.
- The speaker is expressing severe skepticism towards everything the person says, implying that the majority or all of the person's statements are likely false.
b. "I don't believe anything he says." This sentence can similarly be interpreted in two ways:
- The speaker does not believe any individual statement made by the person in question.
- The speaker is expressing a more general lack of trust in the person, suggesting that nothing they say can be taken at face value.
Without additional context, it's difficult to determine the intended meaning of these sentences.
@azz posted:a. I do not believe that anything he says is true.
b, I don't believe anything he says.
Aren't those sentences ambiguous?
First meaning: I believe that nothing he says is true/nothing he says.
Second meaning: I do not believe that just anything he says is true/just anything he says. Some are and some are not.
Yes, Azz, either of those meanings is grammatically possible for each sentence.
Thank you both so much.
Would you say that these two are both ambiguous as well?
c. I don't think it is possible that anything will go wrong.
d. I don't think anything can go wrong.
Many thanks
@azz posted:Would you say that these two are both ambiguous as well?
c. I don't think it is possible that anything will go wrong.
d. I don't think anything can go wrong.
Hi, Azz—Yes, in theory, (c) and (d) have the same type of ambiguity; but my natural assumption is that they mean the speaker thinks nothing can go wrong.
