Is it OK to say "Are you not thirsty" instead of "Aren't you thirsty?"?
I've seen this structure in novel and poetry.
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Answers · 5
3
Yes, it's correct, but fairly unusual.
"Are you not....?" is used in some parts of the English-speaking world. You may well hear this in Scotland, northern England and Ireland, for example. I've lived in two of those places, and I actually do sometimes say "Are you not ....?" as opposed to "Aren't you...?". It sounds natural to me, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear it, especially from someone from the north or west of the British Isles.
That said, this construction is probably classed as 'non-standard'. You'll see it in songs, poetry and older novels because these date from an earlier era. If you were to say "Are you not....?" to most English speakers, it would sound odd, outdated or strangely formal. As an English language learner, you'd probably get corrected and told "We don't say this".
The standard modern English is "Aren't you...?". I would stick with that, if I were you.
0
Yep, it's correct!
0
Yes it is correct, but only for use in novels and poetry,.
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