decide not to vs decide to not

Both "decide not to" and "decide to not" are correct, but "decide not to" is more commonly used in English. The placement of the word "not" after the verb "decide" is the preferred structure in English.

Last updated: April 01, 2024 • 284 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"decide not to"

This phrase is the preferred structure in English, where "not" comes after the verb "decide."

Examples:

I have decided not to go to the party.
She decided not to pursue a career in medicine.
They decided not to buy the house.
He decided not to take the job offer.
We decided not to wait any longer.

Show examples from the web [+]

The ECB may decide not to announce the results of such bilateral procedures publicly.
The Commission may decide not to take into account the observations conveyed after the deadline.
However, you can decide not to install it by deselecting it before confirming the operations.
She may simply decide not to file the bug at all.
The Commission should be able to decide not to publish such a standard.
Member States may decide not to allow the accreditation or licensing of natural persons as environmental verifiers.
Annual updating of the registration document should be optional for issuers, as they may decide not to go back to the markets.
Member States may decide not to apply this Regulation to terminal air navigation services provided at airports with less than 50000 commercial air transport movements per year.
Where personal data is rendered unusable, the national regulatory authorities should be able to decide not to request notification by the service provider.
Therefore the national regulatory authority may decide not to request notification from the provider to the subscriber concerned.
Member States may decide not to grant direct payments below a minimum threshold to be determined.
However, where the total number of normally attended installations is below six, the Member State concerned may decide not to apply the first subparagraph.
Where implicit allocation methods are applied, national regulatory authorities may decide not to apply Articles 8 to 27.
Unless the disputing Parties disagree, the Panel may decide not to convene a hearing.
A Member State may decide not to
Member States may decide not to apply this Directive when the person concerned has reached the age of 21.
Member States may decide not to grant them equal treatment in relation to procedures for obtaining housing and/or services provided by public employment offices in accordance with national law.
Member States may decide not to notify rules and restrictions of a strictly local nature.
Member States may decide not to apply Articles 1 to 11 to framework agreements concluded before 15 March 2003.
Member States may decide not to apply this Regulation, for a period ending no later than 17 September 2026 to engines installed in cotton harvesting machinery.

Alternatives:

choose not to
opt not to
select not to
determine not to
resolve not to

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

"decide to not"

While grammatically correct, this structure is less common in English. It places the word "not" after the infinitive verb phrase.

Examples:

I have decided to not go to the party.
She decided to not pursue a career in medicine.
They decided to not buy the house.
He decided to not take the job offer.
We decided to not wait any longer.

Show examples from the web [+]

Blind: You may decide to not look at your cards and just bet.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States may decide to not establish representative yields for crops other than annual crops.
Today is Saturday, outside it's raining, since I have to save some money I decide to not do any sightseeing and remain in the hostel.
If you decide to not use the effect, you still have access to your Normal Summon for the turn.
Holly, though, we... we did decide to not spend very much money on...
Why, did you decide to not to go away with him?
Kang, why did you suddenly decide to not do it?
There are two kinds of cookies:One kind is used for "remembering" information such as your username and password and is stored on your computer for as long as you decide to not "log out" of this subscription service.
We decide to not stop in the nearby Wadi Tiwi after the previous trekking in the beautiful wadi, we head for Sur, a fishing village where we visit a small artisanal factory of dhow (traditional boat), totally assembled by hand...
Regulation (EC) No 885/2006 provides rules concerning off-setting of outstanding amounts and the possibility to decide to not recover outstanding amounts of EUR 100 or lower.
First, what happens if one or more third countries (and/or associated territories) go back on their commitments and decide to not impose or to scrap the mechanism and/or withholding tax agreed?
You can decide to not decorate at all your house or decorate in a way that cheers you up, showing your feelings toward the holiday:
You may not control all of the events that have happened to you but you can decide to not be reduced by them.
Pregnant At the moment of the birth, the pregnant can decide to not recognise the child. He will be entrusted to the Social Service that will provide to open an adoption affair.
I believe that the reason was not very clear neither very pure my niece and I decide to not change any detail of our life
We did decide to not spend very much money on -

Alternatives:

choose to not
opt to not
select to not
determine to not
resolve to not

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decide not to vs decide to not

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"decide to not"

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