Stop Using Double Negatives in English: 5 Rules to Improve Your Productive Skills

Introduction

Have you heard someone saying things like, “I ain’t doing nothing,” “I can’t barely see her in the crowd,” or “The woman did not have no energy to entertain people”? These are common to native Americans, however, in a casual way only; not in a formal setting.

Using double negatives in English happens when there are two negative words placed in a sentence. It is used to emphasize something or to create a literary effect. However, in a formal setting, such as writing and speaking, double negatives in a sentence are not applicable because they confuse readers and the audience. To highlight, there are no double negatives in Standard English, either British or American.

Nonetheless, almost 400 years ago, William Shakespeare mastered the usage of double negatives in his masterpieces to add emphasis dramatically. However, technical writing is different from creative writing. Thus, one should avoid using double negatives in English, especially in formal settings like offices, schools, research, government, and so on.

5 Rules for Correcting Double Negatives in English

Speaking and Writing are two of the four English Macro skills. These two are considered Productive Skills as they need words from the speaker’s ideas to be given to the target audience or readers. Following these rules to express a negative sentence without double negation, one can assess oneself using double negatives in English to boost one’s productive skills.

In mathematics, adding two negatives would result in a positive answer. Thus, this goes around in English as well. Below are the rules to refine your productive skills, especially in formal speaking and writing.

Rule 1: Avoid using negative words with negative prefixes in a sentence.

Many people use double negatives in English in a sentence like placing two negative words to emphasize a positive meaning. Especially, when the sentence already has “not” in it, it is followed by a negative prefix such as un-, in-, dis-, ir-, im-, il-, non-, and many more. It is emphatic in literature but not applicable in formal settings or standard English.

Example:

I am not unhappy today! ✘
(This is acceptable in Creative Writing as it is a form of Figure of Speech in English called Litotes but not in standard English.)

I am happy today. ✔
(If you want to express directly that you are indeed happy, go straight to the point.)

I am unhappy today./ I am not happy today. ✔
(This means you are sad.)

Rule 2: Avoid using a negative word in sentences that have “-n’t” already.

Example:

Some people would use this pattern, especially when expressing a negative statement to convey a message but it challenges the clarity of the message. For example, the words no, not, nothing, never, none, no one, nowhere, neither, and nobody. These words would become incorrect if you used them with double negatives in English.

I haven’t seen nobody in the room. ✘
(This sentence is grammatically incorrect because nobody is inappropriate when negating a sentence.)

I haven’t seen anybody in the room. ✔
(When trying to imply a negative statement, a noun with any- should be followed.)

I have seen nobody in the room. ✔
(This one is correct as it negates the sentence using the indefinite pronoun “nobody”.)

Rule 3: Avoid using “some-” when using negatives, use “any-” instead.

There is nothing wrong with using indefinite pronouns such as somebody, something, somewhere, someone, and many more. However, it would undermine the clarity of the message. These indefinite pronouns are only applicable to positive statements; not allowed in making double negatives in English. The words anybody, anything, anywhere, anyone, anytime, and the like are for negative sentences.

Example:

Jean can’t see somebody in the library. ✘
(This sentence is semantically acceptable but syntactically erroneous in standard English.)

Jean can’t see anybody in the library. ✔
(Use the any- to complement the negative modal verb)

Jean can see somebody in the library. ✔
(Use somebody to express affirmative sentences.)

Rule 4: Avoid using “not” with negative adverbs.

There are also negative adverbs such as barely, merely, hardly, scarcely, rarely and the like that show uncertainty in the message you want to convey. However, if paired with “not” it can make the message more confusing. Thus, be mindful of using negative adverbs with negation to avoid double negatives in English.

Example:

Troy is not barely eating today. ✘
(This is an incorrect sentence because barely is already almost not but you include not already which is confusing.)

Troy is not eating today. ✔
(Troy is not eating at all.)

Troy is barely eating today. ✔
(Troy only ate a small amount of food today.)

Rule 5: Avoid using “never” after negative modal verbs, use “ever” instead.

Some people sometimes misunderstand how to use the words, “never” and “ever” in sentences. Always remember that using ever is positive and normally used in questions. However, the word never is negative. In this case, it can cause double negatives in English; and can be misinterpreted.

Example:

They mustn’t never cross the road at a red light. ✘
(The modal verb must have already not with it and you should not pair it with another negative word on the side as it creates confusion.)

They mustn’t ever cross the road at a red light. ✔
(In this case, you use “ever” instead, to complement the mustn’t.)

They must never cross the road at a red light. ✔
(Another way to express this is to delete the “n’t” in the modal verb if you want to use the word never; it still means the same.)

Why Correcting Double Negatives in English is Important

It is better to correct ourselves when using double negatives in English than others would do. Even native speakers sometimes do this, as it is more natural. In this case, if you would like to sound like a native English speaker, it is acceptable.

Nonetheless, you cannot apply this in a formal setting such as meetings, talking to people with high authority, academics, business, and the like because having double negatives in English is grammatically incorrect. Thus, it is best to avoid using them.

6 Tips on How to Avoid Using Double Negatives in English

It is normal to make mistakes in English, particularly if it is not your native language. As long as you are aware of that and you are willing to unlearn from that, then learning is always fun. There are ways to overcome these when learning English. Double negatives in English are just one of a few mistakenly used grammar patterns. To improve your Productive Skills, below are tips to be mindful and minimize the use of this error.

Keep Practicing English
Practicing all the time is the best way to acquire a language or lessen the mistakes committed. Learning English as part of your daily routine can bring a lot of difference, especially in using standard English for your productive skills.

Have an English Buddy
It is a good way to have an English buddy accompany you in learning to avoid double negatives in standard English. It could be your friend, a family member, a teacher, or someone who has a more profound knowledge of the English language. Let them listen and read your English product and provide feedback for improvement.

Enroll in ESL Classes
If you want to know more about grammar rules in the English language, you may book QQEnglish for guidance. Teachers are here to help you on your journey to learning English. This ESL company offers various Online English Courses to indulge in. Moreover, it is also best if you prefer to study at home at your most convenient time as they are available anytime.

Watch Informative English Videos
There are a lot of videos that can be accessed on our mobile phones. You can binge watch some videos related to English. You can have a scheduled time in the day to watch English grammar videos and learn more and more. Repeat watching if necessary.

Follow English Social Pages
Using your phone as an advantage to learn English is a clever way to enhance one’s knowledge, particularly if you are fond of using social media. There are a lot of social media pages that are making English which are informative.

Record Yourself
Listening to ourselves is one of the best ways to be aware of our mistakes. As such, you can listen to yourself, especially in an impromptu speech. Try to listen to yourself as an audience to assess if you can clearly understand what you have said.

Key Takeaways

Using double negatives in English is fine, but not in standard English, especially if you want to use English in a formal setting. There are many things to consider in this situation. Thus, you must be very careful with your word choices in English. It is also important to note all five rules.

Rule 1: Avoid using negative words with negative prefixes in a sentence.
Rule 2: Avoid using a negative word in sentences that have “-n’t” already.
Rule 3: Avoid using “some-” when using negatives, use “any-” instead.
Rule 4: Avoid using “not” with negative adverbs.
Rule 5: Avoid using “never” after negative modal verbs, use “ever” instead.

However, if you are not confident enough in your English skills, you can have an online class with QQEnglish. Teachers here are always happy to serve you with their utmost effort for you to overcome your fear of speaking English. It also offers many topics suitable for your age: kids, teenagers, and even adult courses are here to hone your English productive skills.