Double Negatives
A double negative contains
two negative words:
 He
doesn't even know no one
 My sister used to play.. um
basketball.. but she doesn't
no more
 They don’t ave nothin
 But no-one didn’t answered
Correcting Double
Negatives

The clause I don't have none
contains two negative words—the
contraction don't and the adjective
none. If you don't have none, then
you do have some. To express a
negative idea, you should use only
one negative word.
Remember:

In addition to such negative words
as never, no, none, and not, the
words scarcely, hardly, and barely
function as negatives and should not
be used with other negative words in
the same clause
Incorrect

He never cooks nothing exciting for
dinner.
Correct

He never cooks anything exciting for
dinner.
Incorrect

We can't hardly wait for a change in
the menu.
Correct

We can hardly wait for a change in
the menu.
Correct

We can't wait for a change in the
menu.
Incorrect

You haven't been reading no books
on how to cook bugs, have you?
correct

You haven't been reading any books
on how to cook bugs, have you?
Correct

You haven't been reading books on
how to cook bugs, have you?
Words combined with n't and
the word not are negative
words.
Incorrect

Lisa did not feel nothing.
Correct

Lisa felt nothing.
Give yourself a test.


. They didn't have
(any, no)
tickets.
. Our team hasn't
won the
league title. (never, ever)
Try these.


He didn't bring
(any, none)
of the food.
Haven't you
been to a football
game? (ever, never)
Now, try these.


I have not seen
on the field
yet. (anybody, nobody)
She didn't see the coach
(nowhere, anywhere)
.
Let’s see how you do
on these.


Their team doesn't have
players. (any, no)
We can't find the basketball
(nowhere, anywhere)
poor
.
Always remember:
Don't use no double
negatives. . .
Or
maybe we
should say,
Don’t use any
double negatives!
Resources

http://www.ecu.ed
u.au/ses/research
/CALLR/AENG/wh
at/rules/negative.
htm

www.geocities.com

205.126.22.50/lan
guage/lessons/dou
blene g.html
www.geocities.com