Double Negatives

“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.”
Anonymous

Created by José J. González, Jr.

1
Spring 2002
STCC
 These are grammatically incorrect
sentences because they contain
double negatives.

 I don’t want no water.

 There aren’t no apples in the refrigerator.
 I haven’t none.
 We weren’t hardly able to sleep.
If you read these sentences quickly, you might
think that they are correct. But they are not. So
what is wrong with them? Check next slide for
answers.
Created by José J. González, Jr.

2
Spring 2002
STCC
 Corrections
 I don’t want no water.
 I don’t want any water.
 There aren’t no apples in the refrigerator.
 There aren’t any apples in the refrigerator.
 I haven’t none.
 I haven’t any.
 We weren’t hardly able to sleep.
 We were hardly able to sleep.
Created by José J. González, Jr.

3
Spring 2002
STCC
 So what are the rules about double
negatives?
 Do not use two or more Negative words:
negative words in the No never
same sentence. Two Scarcely hardly
negatives contradict
each other and make an Only none
positive. Nobody no one
Nothing neither
Not n’t
But(meaning only)
Created by José J. González, Jr.

4
Spring 2002
STCC
 Let’s practice:

 Marisol hadn’t never heard of the movie.

 I haven’t no money for such things.
 I have never seen any tanks.
 There wasn’t no opportunity to go to the opera.
 He isn’t hardly able to run to the bus.
 I didn’t find nobody at the swimming pool.
 I haven’t any bananas today.
 He didn’t like none of these.
 We weren’t but four players on the field.
Created by José J. González, Jr.

5
Spring 2002
STCC
 Corrections:

 Marisol hadn’t never heard of the movie.

 Marisol had never heard of the movie.
 I haven’t no money for such things.
 I haven’t any money for such things.
 I have never seen no tanks.
 I have never seen any tanks.
 There wasn’t no opportunity to go to the opera.
 There wasn’t any opportunity to go to the opera.
 He isn’t hardly able to run to the bus.
 He is hardly able to run to the bus.
 I didn’t find nobody at the swimming pool.
 I didn’t find anybody at the swimming pool.
 I haven’t any bananas today.
 I have no bananas today.
 He didn’t like none of these.
 He didn’t like any of these.
 We weren’t but four players on the field.
 We were but four players on the field.

Created by José J. González, Jr.

6
Spring 2002
STCC
 More practice:
 I couldn’t hardly speak.
 She hasn’t no food.
 I am sure they didn’t have no other car.
 Dad can’t hardly hear me from my room.
 Rover won’t bite nobody.
 I am sure she hasn’t no books for us.
 I didn’t run into no one I knew at the game.
 Tommy hasn’t done nothing today.
 Grandma didn’t have no chocolate yesterday.
 I didn’t see the kite nowhere.
Created by José J. González, Jr.

7
Spring 2002
STCC
 Corrections:
 I couldn’t hardly speak.
 I could hardly speak.
 She hasn’t no food.
 She has no food.
 I am sure they didn’t have no other car.
 I am sure they didn’t have any other car.
 Dad can’t hardly hear me from my room.
 Dad can hardly hear me from my room.
 Rover won’t bite nobody.
 Rover won’t bite anybody.
 I am sure she hasn’t no books for us.
 I am sure she hasn’t any books for us.
 I didn’t run into no one I knew at the game.
 I didn’t run into any one I knew at the game.
 Tommy hasn’t done nothing today.
 Tommy hasn’t done anything today.
 Grandma didn’t have no chocolate yesterday.
 Grandma didn’t have any chocolate yesterday.
 I didn’t see the kite nowhere.
 I didn’t see the kite anywhere.

Created by José J. González, Jr.

8
Spring 2002
STCC
 Assignment:
 Carlos didn’t see nobody around.
 Can’t you find no milk?
 He was not allowed to go nowhere.
 Dad say she can’t never trust him.
 The boys haven’t any clothing to wear.
 It wasn’t hardly midnight when we saw the moon.
 In the beginning, they weren’t hardly surprised.
 There wasn’t nobody in school so late.
 It was so warm the dog couldn’t scarcely move.
 It don’t make no difference anyway.
 It don’t matter no how.
 Didn’t you notice that there was no oil in the car.
 I wasn’t no where to be found.
Created by José J. González, Jr.

9
Spring 2002
STCC