negation - In the imperative what is right to say:" remember to not do" or "remember not to do" something?


My question is my doubt. What is the correct structure?



Answer



I believe both are grammatically correct.


IMO, "not to do" puts more emphasis on negation whereas "to not do" focuses on the verb itself. For your sake of using imperative as a prohibition/restriction, here are my suggestions as samples:



I told you not to take it outside! (Remember not to take it outside)


I told you to not throw it out! (Remember to not throw it out)



In terms of speech, stress would play a big role to convey the style and clarity.


P.S. When in doubt, always think back to Hamlet:



To be, or not to be...



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