Double Negative

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What Is a Double Negative? (with Examples)

A double negative occurs when two negative terms are used in the same sentence. For example:

• I don't have no money.
• I didn't see nothing.
• I couldn't find it nowhere.

A double negative is usually created by combining the negative form of a verb (e.g., cannot, did not, have not) with a negative pronoun (e.g., nothing, nobody), a negative adverb (e.g., never, hardly), or a negative conjunction (e.g., neither/nor).

Logically, two negatives convey a positive sense. So, the double negative "I don't have no money" literally means "I have money." While some assert that a double negative with an intended negative meaning is a form of accent and, therefore, not a mistake, most of your audience would consider such usage an error. However, not every double negative is an error. Double negatives can be deployed deliberately to convey sensitivity or diplomacy:

• I wouldn't describe you as unattractive.
• You are not without experience.

Examples of Double Negatives

The following double negatives would all be considered mistakes:

• My daughter Chantelle wouldn't shout at nobody.
(A negative verb with the negative pronoun nobody)
• Chantelle didn't never call the teacher that word.
(A negative verb (didn't call) with the negative adverb never)
• She did not have neither her address nor her phone number.
(A negative verb with the negative conjunction neither/nor)
• Yeah, but, no, but there's this thing you don't know nuffin' about, so don't give me no evils. (Vicky Pollard)
(A negative verb with the negative pronoun nuffin' [sic] and then a negative verb with the negative noun phrase no evils)

"The secret to being a likeable grammarian is knowing when to shut up."

What about a Triple Negative?

You don't see triple negatives often, but here's a witty one:

• I cannot say that I do not disagree with you. (Comedian Groucho Marx)
(If you follow it through logically, you'll find it means "I disagree with you".)

Even though two negatives make a positive, two positives do not make a negative. It can happen though. Yeah, right.

Why Double Negatives Are Important

There are two good reasons to care about double negatives:

(Reason 1) A double negative is usually a mistake.

A double negative that portrays a positive sense when a negative one is intended is a mistake. If it occurs in writing, it's a grammatical howler. If one occurs in speech, it can usually be dismissed as a slip of the tongue. (Well, one can. More than one can't.)

• Russ didn't steal nothing.
(Logically, this means Russ stole something. In reality, readers nearly always understand the intended meaning.)

Of interest, the double-negative construction is standard in many languages. In English, however, it is an error when the resultant positive sense is unintended.

(Reason 2) A double negative can provide a touch of diplomacy or subtlety.

With the following double negatives, the resultant positive meaning is intentional.

• He is not unattractive.
• He is not unconvincing.
• He is not without charm.

These double negatives are not errors. This deliberate use of the double-negative construction lets a writer take one step back from the full-blown positive version.

"He is not unattractive" is subtler than "He is attractive." As these double-negative constructions sound more factual than complimentary or unkind, they can be useful when a touch of diplomacy or subtlety is required.

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