Correcting Double Negatives
Never, no, nobody, none, no one, not, nothing—these are all negative words. Two negative words in the same clause create a
double negative. The clause
I never go nowhere, for instance, contains the negative words
never and
nowhere. Yet if you
never go
nowhere, you
sometimes go
somewhere. To express a negative idea, then, use only one negative word.
When hunting for double negatives in your writing, keep in mind that the negative word not often appears in such contractions as can't, don't, haven't, and isn't. The words barely, hardly, and scarcely also function as negative words.
For ways to correct a double negative, look at the examples below:
Incorrect
|
He can't convince no one to go with him.
|
Correct
|
He can convince no one to go with him.
|
Correct
|
He can't convince anyone to go with him.
|
|
Incorrect
|
I haven't never gone to the circus.
|
Correct
|
I have never gone to the circus.
|
Correct
|
I haven't ever gone to the circus.
|
|
Incorrect
|
I don't hardly know where he goes.
|
Correct
|
I hardly know where he goes.
|
Correct
|
I don't know where he goes.
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