not + verbING (subordinate clause)

Here are examples of negative non-finite clauses giving more information:

I remember thinking very highly of Private Bell not wanting to see his record tarnished by a formal charge.

listen

 

Look into my eyes so you know what it‘s like to live a life not knowing what a normal life‘s like.

listen

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C1 English Grammar Profile point 116 CLAUSES/subordinated is defined as:

non-finite clause, introduced by ‘not’ + ‘-ing’, to give more information

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*This is hard to find any examples of online because there are many informally ellipted results.

A search in iWeb for:

. Not _VVG * *

1 . NOT TRYING TO BE 557

3 . NOT KNOWING WHAT TO 363
4 . NOT WANTING TO BE 322

6 . NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO 285

*A manual search of the first 100 lines shows no examples of a following main clause.

7 . NOT SAYING IT ‘S 281
10 . NOT KNOWING HOW TO 194
11 . NOT SAYING THIS IS 186
12 . NOT SAYING IT IS 163
13 . NOT LOOKING FOR A 144
15 . NOT SAYING THAT ‘S 134
16 . NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP 134
17 . NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT 112
18 . NOT KNOWING WHAT ELSE 101

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19 . NOT WANTING TO WASTE 98

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20 . NOT SAYING THAT IT 92
21 . NOT KNOWING WHERE TO 88
22 . NOT SAYING THAT YOU 88
23 . NOT SAYING THEY ARE 87
24 . NOT WANTING TO GET 84
25 . NOT WANTING TO GO 84
26 . NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT 84
27 . NOT SAYING IT WAS 82
28 . NOT WANTING TO MISS 79
29 . NOT TRYING TO START 79
30 . NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY 78
31 . NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO 77
32 . NOT WANTING TO LOSE 76
33 . NOT TRYING TO MAKE 75
34 . NOT HOLDING MY BREATH 73
35 . NOT SAYING THAT IS 69
36 . NOT SAYING THAT I 69
37 . NOT TRYING TO SOUND 69
38 . NOT WANTING TO LEAVE 68
39 . NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD 68
40 . NOT STOPPING THERE , 67
41 . NOT HAPPENING . 66
42 . NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT 66
43 . NOT KNOWING WHAT THE 65
44 . NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER 62
45 . NOT SAYING IT WILL 62
46 . NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS 61
47 . NOT SAYING YOU ARE 59
48 . NOT SAYING THAT THIS 59
49 . NOT GOING TO GET 57
50 . NOT TRYING TO SCARE 56
51 . NOT WANTING TO GIVE 56
52 . NOT SAYING THAT THE 53
53 . NOT WANTING TO TAKE 51
54 . NOT WANTING TO MAKE 50
55 . NOT SAYING IT CA 49
56 . NOT KIDDING . 49
57 . NOT WANTING TO DISAPPOINT 49
58 . NOT WANTING TO SPEND 48
59 . NOT TALKING ABOUT THE 48
60 . NOT GOING TO SAY 48
61 . NOT GOING TO DO 48

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B1 vocabulary (highest)

breath, disappoint, forward, paying attention, taking away, waste