Name: __________________________________________ Period: __________ Date: ___________________

Avoiding Double Negatives
Negative words: no, not, nobody, nothing, none, never, neither, hardly, scarcely, barely, rarely, unlike,
can’t, don’t, hasn’t.
 Using two negatives in the same sentence gives the opposite meaning, but it does the job awkwardly.
Avoid double negatives!
Directions: In the sentences below, circle each correct word in the parentheses.
1. She couldn’t eat (anything, nothing).
13. The lecturer did not say (anything, nothing)
interesting.
2. I didn’t see (nothing, anything).
14. Of all the cars I test drove, I did not buy
3. We (could, couldn’t) hardly see through the
(none, any) of them.
fog.
15. The baby (cannot, can) hardly walk yet.
4. She did not have (anything, nothing) to read.
16. Isn’t there (nothing, anything) you want for
5. I could not see (no, any) way to help.
6. I cannot find my money (anywhere,
Christmas?
17. Haven’t you (any, no) size 10 dresses?
nowhere).
18. We did not meet (nobody, anybody) at
7. You (can, cannot) scarcely recognize her.
8. The children do not need (no, any) candy.
9. We barely had (any, no) money.
10. Maurice (could, couldn’t) hardly wait.
Markeisha’s party.
19. I could not find my purse (nowhere,
anywhere).
20. The wind was so strong I (could, couldn’t)
hardly stand.
11. Kimione was not carrying (no, any)
packages.
12. The tear in his shirt (was, was not) barely
noticeable.
21. I wasn’t looking for (any, no) trouble that
night.
22. I (could, count not) hardly believe my eyes
when I saw the space ship.
23. I can’t understand (nothing, anything) the
aliens are saying.
24. Nobody (never, ever) expects to be taken
aboard an alien ship.
25. In scarcely (no, any) time at all, the alien
climbed back in its ship and disappeared.
Avoiding Double Negatives: Choose one word from each pair of words to complete each sentence below.
Cross out each word pair after you have chosen your word.
ever/never
can/ can’t
anyone/ no one
ever/never
no/ any
nothing/anything
1. There wasn’t ______________________ else around when the spaceship landed.
2. I discovered that I understood the alien even though it wasn’t making ____________ sound.
3. I hadn’t ________________ seen a creature so strange before.
4. I don’t think I can __________________ describe the inside of the spaceship.
5. The glowing metal control panel wasn’t like _________________ I’d ever seen on Earth.
6. I can see that you _______________ hardly stop yourself from laughing, but I swear it’s all true!
anything/nothing
any/no
anyone/no one
can/can’t
had/hadn’t
ever/never
7. I was disappointed when I didn’t see _____________________ about aliens on the TV news.
8. The police never had _____________________ reports about unusual activity that night.
9. I _____________________ never been so scared as when I saw that alien.
10. I never told _____________________ about my experience on the alien ship.
11. I can’t _____________________ describe my surprise at being taken aboard.
12. I scarcely _____________________ picture sharing our planet with alien life form.
can/can’t
ever/never
anybody/nobody
either/neither
anything/nothing
no/any
13. My sister hasn’t _____________________ missed an alien movie.
14. She loves anything alien, and you ________________ scarcely see her bedroom her bedroom wall
because of all the alien related posters.
15. However, she doesn’t like it when the alien s are portrayed unjustly as evil. She would love to become a
scientist and try to prove that people haven’t _________________ to fear from aliens.
16. In scarcely ____________________ time at all, she has turned me into a fan of aliens too!
17. I don’t believe aliens want to take over our planet or destroy our kind ___________________.
18. My sister and I know that some people don’t believe in the existence of aliens. Even so, we won’t let
________________________ stop us from enjoying stories about extraterrestrial life.