Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi everyone!
I came across one problem and need your help as even native speakers of English couldn´t give me a satisfying answer.
Let´s say we have the following sentence:

If I had known it, I wouldn´t have let him do it.

If I wanted to write this sentence without the contracted form, should it be:

If I had known it, I would not have let him do it.
OR
If I had known it, I would have not let him do it.

For me, the first sentence would be more logical (wouldn´t = would not), but also the second one sounds ok to me...
Could somebody tell me which sentence is correct?
Thank you VERY much!

rebrik

The first is more normal.

You're actually shifing the scope of the negation in the second, but I doubt if it makes any difference to the meaning.

Sure, the first one you wrote. The negative implication (not) must go before the verb as far as I have read. And, being native, its what I have always heard and written and seen written!
Dan

Thank you very much!

I doubt that Dan. Stuff happens, y'know. I mean, even your own final sentence may have broken some strange new ground.