Double Negatives

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Double Negatives
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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 dont ave nothin
• But no-one didnt answered

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Correcting Double Negatives

• The clause I don't have none contains two
  negative wordsthe 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.

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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

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Incorrect

• He never cooks nothing exciting for dinner.

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Correct

• He never cooks anything exciting for dinner.

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Incorrect

• We can't hardly wait for a change in the menu.

8
Correct

• We can hardly wait for a change in the menu.

9
Correct

• We can't wait for a change in the menu.

10
Incorrect

• You haven't been reading no books on how to cook
  bugs, have you?

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correct

• You haven't been reading any books on how to cook
  bugs, have you?

12
Correct

• You haven't been reading books on how to cook
  bugs, have you?

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Words combined with n't and the word not are
negative words.
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Incorrect

• Lisa did not feel nothing.

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Correct

• Lisa felt nothing.

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Give yourself a test.

• . They didn't have tickets. (any, no)
• . Our team hasn't won the league title.
  (never, ever)

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Try these.

• He didn't bring of the food. (any, none)
• Haven't you been to a football game?
  (ever, never)

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Now, try these.

• I have not seen on the field yet.
  (anybody, nobody)
• She didn't see the coach . (nowhere,
  anywhere)

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Lets see how you do on these.

• Their team doesn't have poor players.
  (any, no)
• We can't find the basketball . (nowhere,
  anywhere)

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Always remember

• Don't use no double negatives. . .

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• Or maybe we should say,
• Dont use any double negatives!

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Resources

• http//www.ecu.edu.au/ses/research/CALLR/AENG/what
  /rules/negative.htm

• 205.126.22.50/language/lessons/doublene g.html
• www.geocities.com

www.geocities.com