有一读者问： 有这样一段父子之间的对话：
(1)—What happened, is she pregnant?
—No.
—No, what?
—No, she isn't pregnant, not that it's your business.
not that是什么意思？其用法如何？应如何分析？
“not+that从句”结构常意谓“我并不是说(I do not say/mean/assert)”，用作独立句或非独立句，实例如：
(2)She ignored the common forms of behaviour. Not that she was rude.
(3)Not that I'd have told you everything — there are stories of spies... that I haven't even touched upon.
这种结构也常有“虽然不或尽管不”的含义，实例如：
(4)Not that it matters, but how did you spend the money?
(5)She hasn't written to me yet — not that she ever said she would.
(6)Where is she staying? Not that I care.
(7)If he stole the money — not that I think he did—it was a terrible crime.
(8)If he said so — not that he ever did—he lied.
not that...结构有时还有“然而不或其实不”的含义，上述你问到的对话中的not that...即一比较典型的一例，再如：
(9)She wouldn't tell me how much it cost, not that I was really interested. （not that 在此与really连用，其意相当于“其实并不”）
关于not that...结构的意义和用法，且如上述。现在让我们对not that...结构作一点语法分析。它显然是一省略结构。许多人认为not代表I do not say/mean/assert, that从句起一宾语的作用；但也有人认为not代表it is not, that从句起一种表语的作用，其例证如：
(10)What is he doing now? It is not that I care.
至于that在此是一连词，引导一名词性从句，似乎是没有争议的。
关于整个结构的功能问题，我们认为它是一种独立成分，可置于句首，如上述句（3）和句（4）；
也可作为插入语置于句中，如上述句（7）和句（8）；也可置于句末，如上述句（1）、（5）、（9）；也可以用作独立句，如上述句（2）和句（6）。
最后不妨提一下，并不是所有由not that（连词）引导的省略结构皆具有上述含义。请看下列两种常见的说法：
(11)Not that I dislike the work, but that I have no time. （Not that..., but that...意谓“不是因为……，而是因为……”）
(12)Not that I know of. （此句的意思是：就我所知，不是的。that 相当于 as far as）
