Want to know what double negatives are? And how to prevent them? Read on.
Have you ever heard anyone say “I ain’t no snitch!” or “I ain’t never been there.”?
Well, these (along with the use of the word “ain’t”) are grammatical errors.
These are called double negatives and they happen more often than you might think.
What are Double Negatives?
Double negatives are sentences that have too many words that mean no in them.
Example: I don’t have no time for all these shenanigans!
In this sentence, the words “don’t” and “no” are the negative words. We don’t need both of them to complete the sentence because one is good enough.
So, to fix it, I am going to remove the word “no.”
Fixed Example: I don’t have time for all these shenanigans!
Doesn’t the fixed sentence sound so much better? And isn’t it so much easier to understand?
Here’s another example of a double negative: Alfred didn’t have nowhere to practice, so he was upset for the entire day.
In this sentence, the words “didn’t” and “nowhere” are the negative words. To fix it, I am going to change “nowhere” into “anywhere.”
Fixed Example: Alfred didn’t have anywhere to practice, so he was upset for the entire day.
Again, the fixed sentence is much clearer, and also rolls off the tongue much better, too.
Was it pretty easy to understand?
Good. Just remember that if your sentence sounds off, it most likely is. So just re-read and re-write it over and over again to make sure.
Proofreading is one of the best ways to find and fix grammar errors.
If you are confused about anything or have some questions, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
P.S. If you want some extra grammar practice to boost your confidence or to work on your skills, check out my Grammar Better workbook series. These workbooks are filled with easy-to-understand explanations and examples and have various types of questions to challenge you. Click here to learn more.