What Are Double Negatives?

In its simplest definition, a double negative is a statement containing two opposing segments. For example, "she didn't say nothing". A statement with two negative elements produces a positive effect, usually for a rhetorical force. For example, "there is nothing to worry about". The opposite meaning may be conveyed if two negatives are used in one sentence. Many dialects can use two or more opposites with a single negative connotation. However, British and American usage commentators perceive the double negative form as rustic, uneducated, and nonstandard. Some claim that double negatives are wrong and ought to be avoided. Still, a double negative requires an explanation (to help you understand why it is considered incorrect in Standard English), but it usually needs one. Double-negative sentences need to be grammatically corrected and clarified. They often converse with each other and make a positive, so when you use a double negative, it ends up being the exact opposite of what you mean. It is better to write avoid double negatives when you put statements in a positive form. While common in other languages, the English language used double negatives until Bishop Robert Lowth claimed in his 1762 book, A Short Introduction to English Grammar, that they were no longer acceptable. You ought to avoid using them in a formal context, but it is fine to use them in an everyday context depending on your vocabulary.

At times, a double-negative can ambush you. However, Grammar King is here to help you. So, without further ado, let's get started. If you need clarification on something written here, drop a comment below.

## Negative nouns

You have a double negative if you use a negative noun and a negative verb. They are words such as nothing, nowhere, nobody, and no one. For example, the negative statement "I don't need nobody" can transform into the positive "I don't need anybody". There are ways to rid yourself of negative nouns. Here are a few more examples:

"I didn't hear nothing" could become "I did hear something."

The first statement might mean, "I didn't hear anything."

"I never talked to nobody" could become "I talked to somebody."

The first statement might mean, "I never talked to anybody."

"We didn't go nowhere" could become "We went somewhere."

The first statement might mean, "We didn't go anywhere."

## Negative modifiers

Modifiers are words that change, clarify, qualify, or limit another word. To form the double negative, add a negative modifier to the verb and noun (in some cases, to the object). For example, in the sentence, "I don't have no money", the word "no" is not needed, and it should be rewritten as "I don't have any money", so the modifier changes to "any", and it is no longer negative. So, remember that "no" is negative and "any" is positive. Here are a few more examples:

Negative: I need a new phone but I don't have no money.

Positive: I need a new phone but I don't have any money.

Negative: My cat is hungry, but she doesn't have no food.

Positive: My cat is hungry, but she doesn't have any food.

Negative: Our car has broken down but we can't get to the garage as it doesn't have no petrol.

Positive: Our car has broken down but we can't get to the garage as it doesn't have any petrol.

## Negative adverbs

Negative adverbs are cunning as they are not "no" words. They are words such as hardly, barely, rarely, and scarcely. However, they still have a negative meaning. So, the sentence, "they can't barely wait to be married", really means, "they can barely wait to be married" (this is how to correct the sentence). The true meaning is, "they can't wait to be married."

Although it does not appear to be one, the phrase, "Wouldn't mind but", is a double negative, which some might ask, "What's wrong with it?" Well, the "not" instead of the words "wouldn't" and "but" both express negative ideas. Therefore, use one or the other to correct it. Here is an example:

> I wouldn't mind helping you, but I'm busy.
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This can transform into, "I would help you, but I'm busy".
From time to time, a double negative can be used in subtle and indirect ways to express a positive idea. They are often incorporated by a figure of speech that uses understatement to emphasise a point by stating a negative to affirm a positive later. Here is an example:

> I don't regret not going to school.
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This can mean, "I'm glad I did not go to school."

## Film and TV

To have characters seem real and relatable, writers tend to experiment with bad grammar, such as double negative sentences. For example, in the 1964 film Mary Poppins, the chimney sweep Bert uses a double negative when he says;

> If you don't wanna go nowhere..."
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Another is used in the 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, in the "Stinking Badges" scene, the bandits say;

> Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges!
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Various characters from British soap operas, such as Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale, employ them, especially Dot Branning, who uses double and triple negatives. In the American animated show, The Simpsons, the character Bart Simpson writes the following In the opening chalkboard gag in the 1999 episode "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder";

> I won't not use no double negatives.
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