1. Double Negatives
Grade 3

2. 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 don’t ave nothin
But no-one didn’t answered

3. Correcting Double Negatives
The clause I don't have none contains two negative words—the 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.

4. 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

5. Incorrect
He never cooks nothing exciting for dinner.

6. Correct
He never cooks anything exciting for dinner.

7. 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?

11. 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?

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

14. Incorrect
Lisa did not feel nothing.

15. Correct
Lisa felt nothing.

16. Give yourself a test. . They didn't have tickets. (any, no)
. Our team hasn't won the league title. (never, ever)

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

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

19. Let’s see how you do on these.
Their team doesn't have poor players. (any, no)
We can't find the basketball (nowhere, anywhere)

20. Don't use no double negatives. . .
Always remember:
Don't use no double negatives. . .

21. Or maybe we should say,
Don’t use any double negatives!

22. Resources
/language/lessons/doublene g.html