有一读者问： 有人说只可说：
(1)I don't think he will come.
而不可说：
(2)I think he won't come.
这种看法对吗？
的确有人抱有这种看法。但在英语中像例（2）这样的说法并不罕见，再如：
(3)I think it is not so.
(4)I thought they weren't admissible.
(5)I think he is not honest.
(6)I think you won't misunderstand me when I say that I want to be alone.
那么例（1）与例（2）有什么区别呢？从其本身意义来讲，在许多情况下二者并没有什么区别。但有时二者的侧重点则有所不同。例（1）着重向对方表示一种否定意见，例（2）着重提出一种自己的看法。也有人说例（1）的把握不及例（2）大。
顺便提及，上述结构中的谓语动词并不限于通常所说的 think, belief, suppose, espect, imagine 等，与主语连用的 seem 和 appear 也应属于这一类，如：
(7)It doesn't seem that he is ill. （或It seems that he isn't ill）
(8)It appeared that he was not very rich. （或 It didn't appear that he was very rich）
下面含有谓语动词 know 的句子结构似乎也可属于这一类：
(9)I don't know he's here. （=I know he's not here）
不消说，有许多动词不可用上述例（1）句型，只可用于例（2）句型，如 hope, 实例：
(10)I hope you won't go. （不可说 I don't hope you will go）
