Meaning
Afterthought correction to soften or clarify a previous statement
Primary Function
Rejecting a potential misinterpretation
Communicative Purpose
To make sure the listener doesn’t draw the wrong conclusion from what was just said
Pattern
; not that
Core Structure
; not that
Função primária
Rejecting a potential misinterpretation
Propósito comunicativo
To make sure the listener doesn’t draw the wrong conclusion from what was just said
Situações de gatilho
Self-correction, hedging, avoiding offence
Contextos
Spontaneous conversation, informal writing
Padrão
; not that
Estrutura central
; not that
Slots de substituição
Main statement, clarifying clause
Colocados típicos
- Not that I mind
- not that I care
- not that I know
Substituições comuns
- Not because It’s not that
Erros comuns
Word order inversion: *Not that do I mind*; omitting comma before 'not that': *I enjoy the movie not that it’s perfect*
Similar / contraste
“Mind you, …”; “That said, …”
Interferências
May be interpreted as a full negative question
Família do chunk
- afterthought correction frames
Nuance
Softens preceding statement; prevents misunderstanding
Efeito pragmático
Maintains politeness, self-deprecating
Dica de memória
“…, not that I …”
Nota
This chunk is used to add a qualifying statement after an initial statement, often to soften or clarify the first part.
Upgrade path
Combine with “though”: “Not that I mind, though.”
Log in to save chunks.