Ne littéraire - French Literary Ne

What I call the ne littéraire is the phenonomen in literary writing (and, to a much lesser extent, spoken French) whereby certain verbs and constructions need ne but not pas in order to be negative. 

Note that the use of pas in these constructions is not prohibited, simply optional.

Verbs that don't need pas
cesser	Il ne cesse de parler.	He never stops talking.
oser	Je n'ose le dire.	I don't dare say it.
pouvoir	Elle ne peut sortir.	She can't leave.
Savoir is a special case. It doesn't need pas when it
- means "to be uncertain"	Je ne sais si c'est juste.	I don't know if it's fair.
- is in the conditional	Je ne saurais t'aider.	I wouldn't know how to help you.
- is used with a question word	Je ne sais quoi faire.	I don't know what to do.
However, savoir does need pas when it means to know a fact or how to do something
Je ne sais pas la réponse.		I don't know the answer.
Il ne sait pas nager.		He doesn't know how to swim.
The ne littéraire may be used with just about any verb in si clauses:
J'y serais allé si je n'avais eu peur.		I would have gone if I hadn't been afraid.
Tu auras faim si tu ne manges.		You'll be hungry if you don't eat.
The ne littéraire can also occur with interrogatives:
Qui ne serait triste aujourd'hui ?		Who wouldn't be sad today?
Que ne donnerais-je pour un emploi ?		What wouldn't I give for a job?
Don't get mixed up between the ne littéraire and the ne explétif - they are used with completely different verbs.

  

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