Double Negatives
Jared Aragona
Double negatives: Do not use double negatives in sentences.
She does not want no marshmallows on her sweet potatoes. (Incorrect)
She does not want any marshmallows on her sweet potatoes. (Correct)
Watch for ambiguities and unclear language that emerge from double negatives.
She’s not wrong. (Incorrect)
She’s right. (Correct)
It’s not uncommon. (Incorrect)
It’s common. (Correct)
Beware of negative contractions causing a double negative.
The isn’t a time for us to have no proper lunch with this schedule. (Incorrect)
There isn’t a time for us to have a proper lunch with this schedule. (Correct)
Beware of words like “hardly,” “barely” and “scarcely,” which understood as negative, causing double negatives.
There were hardly no people at my presentation last night. (Incorrect)
There were hardly any people at my presentation last night. (Correct)
It was freezing, and he barely had no clothes to wear. (Incorrect)
It was freezing, and he barely had any clothes to wear. (Correct)
The MLCKRB (Master List Code Key and Rule Book): An English Grammar & Style Handbook by Jared Aragona, CC BY 4.0