Question

求亲们讲讲这道英语选择题：

He helped popilarize the idea that
some diseases not ___ thought to have a bacterial cause
were actually infections .
A)subsequently B)presently C)previously D)lately
答案：C 因为与actually相对的是previouly(从前)

我觉得这句idea后面的that从句中，
diseases作主语，not ___ thought to have 作定语
这个not应该是否定的意思：not lately 才意为从前，而 not previouly就成了不是从前了
所以我认为选D。。。
亲们帮我讲讲吧
我认为这个not修饰的是空缺的词，而不是像答案说的“not修饰整个句子”

Answer 1

首先指出popilarize应该是你拼错了吧，应该是popularize.
He helped popularize the idea that后面跟的是一个同位语从句,一直到句子结尾.
Some diseases not previously thought to have a bacterial cause
were actually infections可以看作一个完整句子,里面含有一个定于从句: Some diseases (that were) -not previously thought to have a bacterial cause-定于从句修饰成分,
were actually infections.
同位语从句的内容翻译过来就是:一些本来不被认为由细菌引起的疾病事实上是由感染引起的.(感染就是因为有细菌).
所以答案是正确的.希望你能从我的回答中有所收获