Roy Robin's short story 'The Caretaker' ends with the following sentence:
'It isn't the responsibility,' my mother said. 'I mean it is, but it isn't just that.'
Good story, nice ending, but that isn't why I'm writing this post. After I finished reading it, I was replaying the last sentence in my mind over and over again, and I realized I would have never written it isn't just that. I'd have, instead, gone with it's not just that. Both are valid contractions, but I never thought such differences could exist.
I don't know why this is so, if it's just a personal thing, or has it got anything to do with 'Indian English' as compared to 'British English'. Thought it was an interesting observation nonetheless.
Linguists. Others. Any opinions?
'It isn't the responsibility,' my mother said. 'I mean it is, but it isn't just that.'
Good story, nice ending, but that isn't why I'm writing this post. After I finished reading it, I was replaying the last sentence in my mind over and over again, and I realized I would have never written it isn't just that. I'd have, instead, gone with it's not just that. Both are valid contractions, but I never thought such differences could exist.
I don't know why this is so, if it's just a personal thing, or has it got anything to do with 'Indian English' as compared to 'British English'. Thought it was an interesting observation nonetheless.
Linguists. Others. Any opinions?
1 comment:
I'm with you. I wonder if where is such a thing anywhere else, but I usually I would think it's just me. Glad to have you notice it as well.
And comparison to British English? Really? I wonder. To me, it's just the question of playing what to stress upon and otherwise.
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