What are double negatives?

Answer 1

A double negative is just when a writer uses two negative words together to express one thing, as in "I can't not go." (Meaning I need to go). Although this is common usage, it is less often acceptable in formal writing. Sometimes it is acceptable if it is done well. :) Here is the article from dictionary.com for further reading: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/double%20negative Example of :Double negative I have the answer to question 20 I got this right. James couldn't haardly stay awake after his surgery.

Answer 2

In math, a double negative is a number that has been negated twice, thus making it positive again.

Eg: -(-5) = 5

In language, a double negative is a sentence which contains two negating words. Often it is used improperly with not splitting an infinitive.

Eg: I have never not liked wikianswers.

He has not wanted to not be famous.

Don't use no double negatives.

Note that a double negative does not necessarily imply the positive.

Eg: He has not claimed that he could not cure cancer.

This does not at all mean: He claimed he could cure cancer.

Answer 3

The "double negative" is a feature of Latin language that was mistakenly attached to English grammar by ill-informed "experts," along with the erroneous idea that an English sentence may not end with a preposition. English naturally allowed a string of negatives to reinforce each other, but in Latin they cancelled each other out. The Romans were fond of expressions like non nulli ( "not no one") meaning "many people," but in English "not no one" properly meant "No one at all, and I'm serious about it."

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Modern Standard English follows the Latin model, in which negatives cancel each other. Thus we say "not for nothing" to mean " for a very good reason," and " I can't do nothing" to mean "I must do something."

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Many speakers use the double negative "cannot help but" plus an infinitive, which is like saying "irregardless."

When you use two negatives to make a positive in a sentence! Example: I'm not going to remove it. 'Not' and 'remove' are both negatives, so they cancel each other out. A less wordy sentence would be: I'm going to leave it. This conveys the same meaning in a less awkward way.

Answer 4

"I don't like nothing." "I don't care what no one says."

These are both grammatically incorrect if they mean, respectively, "I don't like anything" and "I don't care what anyone says".

There are, however, correct uses of the double negative. "I don't like doing nothing" could be correctly used to say that you don't like being idle--i.e. doing nothing.

You could also have, "I didn't do nothing." What they mean is, "I did not do anything wrong." But the negative of, "didn't" and, "nothing" work out to say that they did do something.

Answer 5

It's litotes (or meiosis), as in saying 'It wasn't bad' to mean "It was very good"