Avoiding Double Negatives: A Quick Lesson

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Avoiding Double Negatives A Quick Lesson
"You aint heard nothin yet, folks, -Al Jolson,
The Jazz Singer

• Adjectives and Adverb Unit
• 8th Grade English

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What is Wrong?

• What is wrong with this movie title?

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It has a

• Cant is a contraction for can not.
• Hardly is a negative adverb
• So, basically, you have a dreaded.

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DOUBLE NEGATIVE
You have made Bob, the Angry Flower, angry!
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Todays Notes Jan. 20, 2011

• VII. Avoiding Double Negatives
• A. Adverb not is a negative word.
• B. Expresses the idea of no
• -Contractions with no are negative words
• C. Affirmative words positive words
• D. Avoid using two or more negative words in the
  same sentence double negative.
• -Fix by removing a negative word or by changing
  a negative word to a positive.

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Here is the idea

• The adverb not is a negative word.
• It expresses the idea of no.
• It can be part of a contraction.

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But Be Careful

• Be careful to avoid using two negative words in
  the same sentence.
• This is called a double negative.

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There are TWO

• Reasons not to use a double negative.
• First of all, listen to how it sounds....
• It is a mouthfulit sounds wrong, too!
• I havent seen nobody in the hallway for hours!

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It Just SoundsOdd

• I havent seen nobody in the hallway for hours!
• We are so trained, we actually LIKE hearing the
  correct grammar.
• I havent seen anybody in the hallway for hours!
  

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Plus

• There is always the DREADED MATH CONNECTION

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As with math

• What happens when you multiply a negative and
  another negative?

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They cancel each other out!

• Multiply two negatives and you get a positive.
• The same can be said in English
• I couldnt hardly wait.
• Wait! Does that mean you could wait or you
  couldnt waitI am confused

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Did he or didnt he? Did he just confess?
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So what?

• If we want to keep a sentence in the negative, we
  need to keep it balanced with affirmative words.
  
• Just like two negatives a positive
• A negative and a positive a negative
• I can hardly wait!

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Affirmative words!

• Affirmative words are the opposite of negative
  words like no and not.
• Think of them as positive words!
• They show the idea of yes.

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A Simple Chart
Negative and Affirmative Words Negative and Affirmative Words
Negative Affirmative
Never Nobody None No one Nothing Nowhere Ever, always Anybody, somebody One, all, some, any Everyone, someone, anyone Something, anything Somewhere, anywhere
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Correct it!

• You can correct a double negative by removing one
  of the negative words or by replacing it with an
  affirmative word.
• Incorrect The clarinet isnt no new instrument.
• Correct The clarinet isnt a new instrument.
• Correct The clarinet is no new instrument.

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Now You Try

• In the following slide, correct the double
  negative.

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Exercise

• My older brother doesnt take no piano lessons.
• He plays the piano, but he cant hardly read
  music.
• He plays by ear, but I havent never been able to
  do that.
• If we both want to play, we dont never agree
  wholl get the piano.

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Remember

• Be careful to avoid using two negative words in
  the same sentence.
• This is called a double negative.
• You can correct a double negative by removing one
  of the negative words or by replacing it with an
  affirmative word.

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FAIL!
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Just for fun