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Is there a difference in meaning between these two sentences below?

  1. All of them do not like cheese.
  2. None of them like cheese.

I've been told that (1) would "open up" for the discussion that all of them do not like cheese, but some of them like cheese.

All these years I have understood that both sentences mean the same thing, the only difference being the emphasis on "do not like" or "like". Thanks in advance for clarifying, I would not like to be caught in another situation where I use the wrong sentence again :)

KillingTime
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Nancy
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  • Not all of them dislike the cheese—this says some like it. All of them dislike the cheese is clear that none of them like it. – Xanne Jun 23 '20 at 09:42
  • @Peter 'All is not lost' is a fixed phrase; the 'every- every-thing is still OK' reading is unlikely in the extreme. But with OP's example, it takes only unusual contexts to make the alternative reading quite plausible. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 23 '20 at 11:08
  • @Edwin: On the other hand, if you say "Everybody is not a cheese-lover," I think the most plausible meaning changes. And that's not a fixed phrase. – Peter Shor Jun 23 '20 at 11:18
  • @Peter Yes; I'm just saying that 'All is not lost' is not the best example to choose as a typical member of these ambiguous sentences. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 23 '20 at 11:51

1 Answers1

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This sort of quibble is often made by people with a mathematical background (like me for example!). English often lacks in precision when discussing such things.

In fact, the difference is usually indicated by context and voice tone rather than grammar.

John: All our friends like cheese. Let's have a cheese party!

Mary: All of our friends don't like cheese. What about Anna? She hates it

John: Oh yes, I'd forgotten.

John: Let's have a cheese party!

Mary: All of our friends don't like cheese. In fact they all hate it..

John: Okay, you decide then.

In mathematics and formal logic, special symbols are used to indicate the difference. Precision is key in these fields.

Note

It is often to my regret that there is no way of showing voice-tone accurately on this site. It can entirely change the meaning of a phrase according to how it is said, e.g. "You're a genius" can be said with admiration or with extreme sarcasm, Only voice tone indicates the difference.

chasly - supports Monica
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  • Yes, context and intonation rule. This is a better example question than the duplicate Peter points to. I can't imagine "All is not lost!" in casual conversation. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 23 '20 at 11:11