Mastering Double Negatives

Mastering Double Negatives

Read each section's instructions carefully and complete the exercises. This worksheet will help you understand and correct double negatives in your writing.

A double negative occurs when two negative words are used in the same clause. In standard English, double negatives are considered grammatically incorrect because the two negatives cancel each other out, often creating a positive statement or an unclear meaning. Common negative words include 'not', 'no', 'never', 'nobody', 'nothing', 'nowhere', 'hardly', 'scarcely', and 'barely'.

1. Which of the following sentences contains a double negative?

Rewrite the following sentences to eliminate the double negative. Ensure the meaning remains the same.

2. I don't have no time for games. I  .

3. She couldn't barely see through the fog. She  .

4. We aren't going nowhere tonight. We  .

Indicate whether each statement about double negatives is True or False.

5. A double negative always makes a sentence positive in meaning.

6. Using 'hardly' with another negative word like 'can't' creates a grammatically correct sentence.

7. Write two sentences. In the first sentence, correctly use a negative word. In the second sentence, demonstrate how to correct a double negative.