Didn’t you notice that there was no oil in the car.It was so warm the dog couldn’t scarcely move.There wasn’t nobody in school so late.In the beginning, they weren’t hardly surprised.It wasn’t hardly midnight when we saw the moon.The boys haven’t any clothing to wear.Grandma didn’t have any chocolate yesterday. I didn’t run into any one I knew at the game.I am sure she hasn’t any books for us.I am sure they didn’t have any other car.Grandma didn’t have no chocolate yesterday.I didn’t run into no one I knew at the game. A double negative is when you use two negative words in the same clause of a sentence.Dad can’t hardly hear me from my room.I am sure they didn’t have no other car.We were but four players on the field.We weren’t but four players on the field.I didn’t find anybody at the swimming pool.There wasn’t any opportunity to go to the opera.I didn’t find nobody at the swimming pool.He isn’t hardly able to run to the bus.There wasn’t no opportunity to go to the opera.Marisol hadn’t never heard of the movie.Negative words: No never Scarcely hardly Only none Nobody no one Nothing neither Not n’t But(meaning only) So what are the rules about double negatives? Created by José J. Two negatives contradict each other and make an positive. González, Jr.Spring 2002STCCĭo not use two or more negative words in the same sentence. There aren’t any apples in the refrigerator.So what is wrong with them? Check next slide for answers. If we apply that mathematical thinking to our English is exactly the same. If you’re getting confused, try and remember your mathematics. If you read these sentences quickly, you might think that they are correct. A double negative is usually defined as two negative words that appear in the same sentence. There aren’t no apples in the refrigerator.These are grammatically incorrect sentences because they contain double negatives. But no-one didn’t answered Created by José J.González, Jr.Spring 2002STCCĪ double negative contains two negative words: How do I avoid using double negatives in my writing? Created by José J.“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.”Anonymous Created by José J. Revises sentences by correcting errors in usage. Curzan’s observations on language also can be heard on the Michigan Radio program “That’s What They Say.Double Negatives ELA8C1 d. This video appears courtesy of LSA Today. English has a long history with this construction, which continues to flourish in several languages, including many varieties of English, around the world. I hope this brief history of double negation helps you see why in language two negatives don’t necessarily make a positive. I am not unhappy, but I’m certainly far from happy.” When I say, “I am not unhappy,” that is not the same thing as saying, “I am happy.” I would say, at best, it means “I am neutral. For example: “I am not unhappy.” Those two negative elements (“not” and “un-“) are oppositional, but I do have to note that they don’t exactly cancel each other out. Now, there are instances where two negatives are put directly in opposition to each other. So even if you want to do math, it’s possible to see how two negatives do not cancel each other out. But if you add two negatives, what do you get? A bigger negative. It is true that in math if you multiply two negatives you get a positive. People often refer to math and will say, “Well, in math if you multiply two negatives you get a positive.”Īnd I have two responses to this. Let’s talk about this idea that the two negatives cancel each other out. In much the same way, if you say in English, “I don’t get tired,” and “I don’t never get tired,” you are communicating the message that “tiredness is not my thing.” Cancelation policy For example, a French speaker will say, “Je ne sais pas” to tell someone, “I don’t know.” The “ne” and the “pas” are both negative markers. But many, many varieties of English still use double negation as do many other languages. And you can find double negation in Shakespeare’s time.Īt some point, the standard variety of English started moving toward single negation. The Old English poem Beowulf uses multiple negation. No one would interpret that lyric that way.Įnglish has a long history of using double or multiple negation, as do many languages around the world. When Mick Jagger sings, “I can’t get no satisfaction,” we know that he does not mean he is satisfied.
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