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5 Double-Negative

This document provides an example of how to avoid double negatives in sentences. It defines double negatives as using two negative words in the same sentence. Examples of negative words are "no", "not", "nobody", and "nowhere". The document contains 20 multiple choice questions where the user must identify the correct answer that does not contain a double negative. It is meant to help the user practice identifying and avoiding double negatives in sentences.

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2K views2 pages

5 Double-Negative

This document provides an example of how to avoid double negatives in sentences. It defines double negatives as using two negative words in the same sentence. Examples of negative words are "no", "not", "nobody", and "nowhere". The document contains 20 multiple choice questions where the user must identify the correct answer that does not contain a double negative. It is meant to help the user practice identifying and avoiding double negatives in sentences.

Uploaded by

api-262774252
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: _______________________________________________________________

Date: _____________________

DOUBLE NEGATIVES
Avoid double negatives, which occur when two forms of negation (negative words) are used in the same sentence.
Negatives include: NO words (i.e., nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere), and NOT words (isn't, can't, didn't, haven't).
The tricky negatives to keep in mind include: hardly, barely, and scarcely.
Complete each of the answers, making sure you don't use double negatives:
1. Q: Do you want anything? A: No, I don't want
_____________.
a. anything
b. nothing
2. Q: Do you have any money? A: No, I
_____________ none.
a. don't have
b. have
3. Q: Did you see those people? A: No, I didn't see
________.
a. noone
b. anyone
4. Q: Do you have any candy? A: No, I don't have
_____________.
a. any
b. none
5. Q: Didn't he tell you not to come here? A: No,
_____________ told me anything.
a. nobody
b. anybody
6. Q: How much money do you have? A: Not much. I
hardly have _____________.
a. none
b. any
7. Q: Where are you going? A: _____________. I'm
staying right here.
a. Nowhere
b. Anywhere
8. Q: So, you're staying right here? A: That's right. I'm
not going _____________.
a. nowhere
b. anywhere
9. Q: Do you know him well? A: No, I _____________
know him.
a. barely don't
b. barely
10. Q: Did the prisoner say anything? A: No, he
_____________ nothing.
a. said
b. didn't say

11. Sadly, I ______ a penny left in my purse.


a. didn't scarcely have
b. scarcely had
12. Since his last paper gained little support, the linguist
______ surprised that he had not been asked to
present again.
a. was
b. was not
13. Sadie won't talk to ______ about her problems.
a. nobody
b. no one
c. anybody
14. She didn't study, so she ____ hardly finish her final.
a. could
b. couldn't
15. After he got home, Joe realized that he ______ of
the spices he'd bought at the store.
a. didn't need none
b. needed none
c. didn't need any
16. I think the moratorium on travel ______ last barely a
month.
a. will
b. will not
17. They ______ barely started to think about the
upcoming merger.
a. have
b. haven't
18. I ______ unhappy with the way things turned out. In
the end, I won!
a. was
b. wasn't
19. Students are allowed to use neither books ______
notes during the midterm.
a. or
b. nor
20. We ______ hardly had any rain lately.
a. have
b. haven't

Name: _______________________________________________________________

Date: _____________________

DOUBLE NEGATIVES (ANSWER KEY)


Avoid double negatives, which occur when two forms of negation (negative words) are used in the same sentence.
Negatives include: NO words (i.e., nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere), and NOT words (isn't, can't, didn't, haven't).
The tricky negatives to keep in mind include: hardly, barely, and scarcely.
Complete each of the answers, making sure you don't use double negatives:
1. Q: Do you want anything? A: No, I don't want
_____________.
a. anything
b. nothing

11. Sadly, I ______ a penny left in my purse.


a. didn't scarcely have
b. scarcely had

2. Q: Do you have any money? A: No, I


_____________ none.
a. don't have
b. have

12. Since his last paper gained little support, the linguist
______ surprised that he had not been asked to
present again.
a. was
b. was not

3. Q: Did you see those people? A: No, I didn't see


________.
a. noone
b. anyone

13. Sadie won't talk to ______ about her problems.


a. nobody
b. no one
c. anybody

4. Q: Do you have any candy? A: No, I don't have


_____________.
a. any
b. none

14. She didn't study, so she ____ hardly finish her final.
a. could
b. couldn't

5. Q: Didn't he tell you not to come here? A: No,


_____________ told me anything.
a. nobody
b. anybody

15. After he got home, Joe realized that he ______ of


the spices he'd bought at the store.
a. didn't need none
b. needed none
c. didn't need any

6. Q: How much money do you have? A: Not much. I


hardly have _____________.
a. none
b. any

16. I think the moratorium on travel ______ last barely a


month.
a. will
b. will not

7. Q: Where are you going? A: _____________. I'm


staying right here.
a. Nowhere
b. Anywhere

17. They ______ barely started to think about the


upcoming merger.
a. have
b. haven't

8. Q: So, you're staying right here? A: That's right. I'm


not going _____________.
a. nowhere
b. anywhere

18. I ______ unhappy with the way things turned out. In


the end, I won!
a. was
b. wasn't

9. Q: Do you know him well? A: No, I _____________


know him.
a. barely don't
b. barely

19. Students are allowed to use neither books ______


notes during the midterm.
a. or
b. nor

10. Q: Did the prisoner say anything? A: No, he


_____________ nothing.
a. said
b. didn't say

20. We ______ hardly had any rain lately.


a. have
b. haven't

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