Double Negatives
Double Negatives
“I’ve never been no snitch!” Wallace said.
“So you’re saying that you have been a snitch. You used a double negative. Didn’t you learn in math that a double negative is a positive?” asked Tess.
“Math don’t teach us nothing about English, Tess.”
“I’d have to agree with you, Wallace.”
Definition and Examples
Non-standard English often differs from Standard English because of regional or cultural dialects. One form of Non-standard English is the double negative. In Non-standard English the double negative is used to emphasize the negative; however, in Standard English the double negatives can cancel each other out and form a positive. Example: I do not have no excuses. Standard English Revision: I do not have any excuses.
Read the rule.
Don’t use double negatives in essays or reports.
Re-write the sentence and [bracket] the double negatives.
- Don’t tell me nothing about that situation. I don’t want to know anything.
- Never tell nobody about your plans, so you won’t disappoint anyone.
- Well, I don’t want not to come visit you.
- I misplaced my phone. I can’t find it nowhere.
- She is not unhelpful, but she doesn’t have a choice not to help when asked.
Revise the double negatives.
Never write no double negatives.
Answers
- [Don’t] tell me [nothing] about that situation. I don’t want to know anything.
- [Never] tell [nobody] about your plans, so you won’t disappoint anyone.
- Well, I [don’t] want [not] to come visit you.
- I misplaced my phone. I [can’t] find it [nowhere].
- She is [not] [unhelpful], but she [doesn’t] have a choice [not] to help when asked.
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