Double negatives occur when a sentence contains two negatives. In Standard English, double negatives are used to make a mild positive, which is sometimes referred to as litotes.
Negation can be described as the grammatical process of reversing the expression in a sentence. In this article, I will discuss the various types of negation and how to avoid double negatives and use them when necessary.
How to negate a sentence
Negating a sentence involves changing its meaning to express the opposite or denial of the original statement. There are several ways to negate a sentence, as outlined below:
1. Using the particle “not” and “no”
a. She is not coming to the party.
b. There is no milk in the fridge.
c. I do not understand the question.
2. Using negating pronouns, such as nobody, none, no one, and nothing
a. Nobody saw what happened.
b. None of the answers were correct.
c. No one is allowed to enter the room.
3. Using negating adverbs such as nowhere, never, and neither
a. He has nowhere to go.
b. She never talks during meetings.
c. I neither agree nor disagree with the proposal.
4. Using coordinating conjunctions neither and nor
a. Neither the manager nor the assistant attended the meeting.
b. I will neither eat junk food nor drink soda.
c. Neither of the options seems feasible.
4. Using words with negative meaning and function (e.g., hardly and scarcely)
a. She hardly ever visits her grandparents.
b. There was scarcely any room left on the train.
c. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
5. Using words with negative affixes (e.g., a- [atypical], dis- [disrobe], -less [careless])
a. Her behavior was atypical for the situation.
b. He decided to disrobe before jumping into the pool.
c. The careless mistake cost them the contract.
6. Using coordinating conjunctions neither and nor
“Neither” and "nor” are used together in negation to connect two or more negative alternatives. The structure emphasizes that none of the listed options apply.
a. Neither the manager nor the assistant attended the meeting.
b. I will neither eat junk food nor drink soda.
c. Neither of the options seems feasible.
Double negatives
A double negative occurs when two negative elements are used in the same sentence. In standard formal English, double negatives are generally avoided because they can lead to confusion. However, in some contexts, double negatives are used for specific effects:
1. Litotes in formal contextsLitotes is a rhetorical device where a double negative is used to express a modest affirmation or understatement.a. She is not unfamiliar with the topic.b. The results are not insignificant.c. He is not without his flaws.
2. Emphatic negatives in dialectsIn various dialects, double negatives are used to intensify a negative meaning rather than cancel each other out.a. I ain't got no time for this.b. She didn’t do nothing wrong.c. They couldn’t find no solution.
While double negatives are generally discouraged in formal writing, understanding their usage in different contexts can enhance clarity and rhetorical effect.
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Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, December 14). Double Negatives & Negation. EminentEdit. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/double-negatives-negation |
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