"seems not to" vs "did not seem"

Question

"seems not to" vs "did not seem"

Both "did not seem" and "seems not to" are correct constructions, but they are used in different contexts. "Did not seem" is used to talk about the past, while "seems not to" is used to talk about the present or future.

Last Updated: March 06, 2024

Use "seems not to" when referring to something that does not appear to be the case in the present or future.

Examples:

She seems not to understand the instructions.
It seems not to be working properly.

Alternatives:

does not seem to
appears not to
is not appearing to
is not looking like
is not giving the impression of

Use "did not seem" when referring to something that was not apparent or evident in the past.

Examples:

He did not seem interested in the movie last night.
She did not seem to notice the changes in the room.

Alternatives:

did not appear
did not look like
did not come across as
did not give the impression of
did not strike me as

Answer 1

seems not to

This phrase is correct and commonly used to talk about the present or future.

Answer 2

did not seem

This phrase is correct and commonly used to talk about the past.

"seems not to" vs "did not seem"

seems not to

did not seem

Related Comparisons