有这样一个句子“I don’t think he is a good doctor.”大家对这个句子有不同的翻译：

1. 我不认为他是个好医生。2. 我认为他不是个好医生。哪个正确呢?2是正确的。那么1的错误在哪儿呢?这就是“否定转移”在作怪。这一语法现象在英语中特别常见，它是将语义上属于从句(一般为that clause)的否定词转移到主句中去。允许否定转移的主句动词在语义上可分为两类：

一、表示看法的动词：be supposed to, believe, expect, imagine, suppose, think等。如：

1. I ____ I_____ you before.

A. think; haven’t seen

B. didn’t think; have seen

C. didn’t think; didn’t see

D. thought; not see

2. She _____ that we ____ anything.

A. didn’t imagine;would say

B. don’t imagine; say

C. doesn’t imagine; would say

D. would imagine; would say(Keys: 1. B 2. A)

二、表示感觉的动词：appear, seem, look like, feel as if, look as if, sound as if等。如：

1. The baby ____ appear to be awake.

A. don’tB. didn’t

C. doesn’tD. could

2. It ______(看起来) like ______(天不会)going to rain.

(Keys: 1. C 2. doesn’t look;it’s)

在以下特殊情况中，即使有允许否定转移的动词，也不能将其否定转移到主句中。

1. I think是插入语，可看作与其他部分无关时。如：

I wish you were here, then, I think, I should not feel like this.

2. 主句中有情态动词can’t, mustn’t, wouldn’t等时。如：

I can’t believe that they are married.

You mustn’t think he’s stupid.

3.由于cannot help doing, ought not, need not, not at all等短语的关系而把I think隔离时。如：

I think you ought not to walk at night alone, Mrs. Moore.

“I think the angel is not at all in heaven.” Redmond said.

4.由于受not just…but, just not…enough, not much, not quite等以not为核心的副词短语的影响，也不便把其否定转移到主句中。如：

I think I’m just not smart enough to make any sense out of for you.

But I think that Elizabeth was not quite so certain of it as I.

5. 句中含有no, never, nothing, nobody等否定词时。如：

I should think you never have seen many.

I thought it explained nothing.