| #ffffff;" /> | | | | don’t want any coffee. |
| Among the many challenges learning English as | | | | Since the word any is not negative, your problem is |
| second language poses, an all time classic is a double | | | | solved. Here is a list that has words that are |
| negative. Since double negatives do exist and in fact | | | | considered negative. Use them once in your |
| are quite correct in other languages, for instance | | | | sentences and your statements will be negative.no, |
| Spanish, many ESL students have to face the fact | | | | not, none, nothing, nowhere, nobody, no one, hardly, |
| that in English they are not correct and therefore | | | | scarcely, barely, neither |
| should not be used. What is a double negative, you | | | | Here are some more examples. |
| might ask. It is is the nonstandard usage of two | | | | I didn’t see nothing. – wrong!; I |
| negatives used in the same construction. In a double | | | | didn’t see anything. – right! |
| negative sentence, they cancel each other and | | | | There wasn’t no one there. – wrong!; |
| create a positive. Today, they are considered | | | | There wasn’t anyone there. – right! |
| grammar mistakes. | | | | I don’t hardly have time. – wrong!; I |
| The standard use of negatives in English can be | | | | hardly have any time. – right! |
| understood from a mathematical concept. If you | | | | There isn’t nowhere to park. – wrong!; |
| have two positives, for example ++ = +, the result | | | | There isn’t anywhere to park. – right! |
| will be another positive. Now take a look at this. If | | | | We didn’t have nobody to help us. – |
| we have two negatives, - - = +, they will equal | | | | wrong!; We didn’t have anybody to help us. |
| another positive. In math in order to have a negative | | | | – right! |
| you would need to do this - + = - or + - = -. In | | | | He can’t barely move. – wrong!; He |
| other words you need a combination of a positive | | | | can barely move. – right! |
| and negative to have a negative. Sounds a bit | | | | She didn’t scarcely have anything to eat. |
| technical, right? Look at these examples that illustrate | | | | – wrong!; She scarcely had anything to eat. |
| this concept. Remembering that two negatives form | | | | – right! |
| a positive will help you to avoid the "double negative" | | | | Just keep in mind that nothing is impossible. By |
| grammar problem: | | | | learning and practising the correct use of these |
| I don’t want no coffee. | | | | words in your ESL programs you can avoid problems |
| So, don’t is clearly negative and so is the | | | | in the future. And no matter how many times you |
| word no. Here we have a double negative. The | | | | hear them in rock songs, remember: just say no to |
| solution to this would be to say something like: I | | | | the double negative! |