Hi there! I have a 16-month-old baby and as I’m asking her not to do certain things… a doubt has come to my mind. When should I say Not bitting (the use of Not plus a verb with ing) and when Don’t bite. I think it depends on how personal or impersonal you want to sound but maybe there’s more than that…
Thank you
‘Not biting’ is incorrect. Stick to ‘Don’t bite’ or use ‘no biting’.
Thank youuu, there it is. I knew there was something else in that expression that I didn’t know and use wrongly…
Sorry, I still don’t get the difference between Don’t hit or No hitting…
apparently as you say they are both grammatically right but what about the meaning? how do they sound to you? How will they sound to my girl… The thing is I don’t want to sound “bookish” to her but natural
like when I see the post No Smoking, or No parking… I suppose it is not said Don’t park here to be more polite and impersonal I suppose…
THANKS in advance
Don’t bite is less ‘commanding’ but more direct than ‘no biting’, which is a general imperative form.
Both are natural.
Oh Thank you so much
I would have even said it was all the other way about, I surely need to keep on studying… thank you so much.
I’ll be around sooon…!!