Understanding Double Negatives
A Grade 6 ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and correcting double negatives in sentences.
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Understanding Double Negatives
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Read each section carefully and follow the instructions for each activity. This worksheet will help you understand and correct double negatives in sentences.
A double negative occurs when two negative words are used in the same sentence. This often creates a positive meaning or makes the sentence confusing. In standard English, you should only use one negative word to express a negative idea.
Common negative words include: no, not, never, none, nobody, nothing, nowhere, hardly, scarcely, barely.
1. Which of the following sentences contains a double negative?
I have no money.
She didn't see anything.
He couldn't hardly breathe.
They went nowhere.
2. Which sentence correctly avoids a double negative?
I don't have no time.
She wasn't never late.
He barely saw anything.
They couldn't find nothing.
Rewrite each sentence to correct the double negative. Use only one negative word.
3. We didn't see nobody at the park.
We saw at the park.
4. She couldn't barely hear the music.
She hear the music.
5. I don't have no homework tonight.
I homework tonight.
Indicate whether the following statements about double negatives are True or False.
6. Using two negative words in a sentence always makes it grammatically correct.
True
False
7. Words like 'hardly' and 'scarcely' are considered negative words.
True
False
8. Explain in your own words why it is important to avoid double negatives in formal writing.