Double Negatives

Double negatives occur when two forms of negation are present in the same clause. They are acceptable in many standard and non-standard dialects and foreign languages. When this occurs, the second negation intensifies the negativity of the sentence as a whole. In Standard English, however, double negatives in a single clause cancel each other out and transform the meaning into a positive.

Consider the following example,

Double Negative: I don’t want nothing.

Translation: I want something.

The best way to correct a double negative is to replace the second form of negation with the word any. Consider the following:

Double Negative: I can’t get no satisfaction.

Correction: I can’t get any satisfaction.

The best way to avoid the usage of double negatives is to consider the message of the reader is to absorb from the clause.