| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| RAISING |
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| Contrary to what you might expect, raising has nothing to do with “higher” or “better” language—quite the reverse, according to some. It is the technical name for the location of the negative in this sentence: I don’t think he’s very helpful. The version some people urge as logically better is I think he’s not very helpful, but for most of us that has a more Formal ring. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either version; the grammar of each is Standard: choose the tone you seek. Raising simply shifts the negative from the subordinate clause where it logically belongs to the main clause, especially when the main clause’s verb is suppose, think, believe, seem, or the like. Those who oppose raising argue that statements such as I don’t think are illogical—but so is much in Standard English. See DON’T THINK. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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