I know there's also a 'ne' littéraire where you can indicate negation while dropping 'pas'. This applies exclusively for a short list of verbs, like pouvoir.
If I were to see a sentence like "J'ai peur qu'il ne puisse le faire", would the 'ne' here be a 'ne' expletif or a 'ne' littéraire? In other words, am I afraid that he can do it or that he cannot do it?
Bonjour Amon,
This is an excellent question ! In the example you wrote, it is a 'ne explétif' as 'j'ai peur que...' expresses fear. See link here for further explanation: 'ne explétif'
Here is another link on 'ne littéraire'.
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !
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