Practice
Double negatives: make negative meaning clear in English
Sign in to saveA message says, "I did not receive no reply." Does it mean that a reply arrived, or that none arrived? In standard English, a small change can make the meaning much easier to read.
Choose a clear standard-English negative pattern and explain when two negative words change or reinforce the intended meaning.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
I did not save any copies. /aɪ dɪd nɒt seɪv ˈen.i ˈkɒp.iz/
The short answer
For a clear standard-English negative, use not with anybody, anything, ever, or anywhere, or use nobody, nothing, never, or nowhere without not. Read a deliberate double negative carefully because it can mean a cautious positive idea.
The office did not receive any deliveries today.
Why it works: Did not carries the negative meaning, and any deliveries fits after it.
5 more examples
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I did not save any copies of the form.
The verb phrase is negative, so any copies gives the meaning of zero copies.
Not this:I
saved no copiesof the form. What changes: No copies carries the negative meaning without did not. -
Nobody mentioned the schedule change.
Nobody means that no person mentioned it.
Not this:The team
did not mentionthe schedule change to anyone. What changes: This sentence has a different subject and says that the team told no person about the change. -
We have never used that entrance.
Never gives one negative meaning about every time up to now.
Not this:We
have not usedthat entrance before. What changes: This standard pattern also says that the past experience did not happen. -
The delay is not unexpected after the storm.
The phrase says that the delay is understandable or expected to some degree.
Not this:The delay is
expectedafter the storm. What changes: The direct version sounds more certain than not unexpected. -
The editor could not deny the mistake.
The editor has to admit that the mistake happened.
Not this:The editor
admittedthe mistake. What changes: The direct verb states the result without the negative verb deny.
Read the full guide
Decide on the meaning before you choose the words. If you mean zero people, things, times, or places, choose one standard pattern and keep it through the clause. If you meet two negatives, ask whether the writer means a positive idea, uses a dialect pattern, or needs a clearer rewrite for the situation.
Locate the word that makes the clause negative
Start by finding the negative element. It may be not, never, nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere, neither, or a word with no. Then ask whether the clause already has the meaning of zero. This step prevents an accidental second negative.
Nothing changed after the update.
Nothing already means that no thing changed. The ordinary past verb changed is enough.
Which word creates the negative meaning in 'Maya never answered'?
Never creates the negative meaning. The sentence says that Maya answered at no time.
Use an any-word after not
When not is part of the verb phrase, use an any-word for an indefinite person, thing, time, or place. Common choices are anyone, anybody, anything, ever, and anywhere. Together, the verb phrase and the any-word make one standard negative pattern.
We did not speak to anyone after the meeting.
Did not makes the verb negative. Anyone does not add another negative meaning.
Complete this standard sentence: 'They have not traveled ___ this year.'
Use anywhere: 'They have not traveled anywhere this year.'
Use a no-word with an ordinary verb
You can express the same kind of meaning with a no-word. Use nobody or no one for people, nothing for things, nowhere for places, and never for time. In this pattern, do not add not to the same clause.
No one checked the final figure.
No one is the negative subject. 'No one did not check the final figure' changes the meaning and is usually not what the writer intends.
Write a standard sentence that says the package went to no place.
Write: 'The package went nowhere.' You could also write: 'The package did not go anywhere.'
Read deliberate double negatives by meaning
Some double negatives are grammatical and intentional. A phrase such as not unreasonable does not simply mean unreasonable. It suggests that an idea is reasonable, often with less certainty than a direct statement. Read the whole phrase before deciding what it says.
Her request is not unreasonable.
The speaker thinks the request is reasonable, but the wording sounds careful or restrained.
What does 'not unhelpful' usually suggest?
It suggests that something was helpful to some extent. A direct sentence may state the idea more clearly.
Recognize dialect use and choose for the setting
Some English dialects use negative concord, so more than one negative word can express one negative meaning. Speakers use those patterns systematically in their communities. For a piece of standard written English, revise to one standard negative pattern when the task calls for it. For dialogue, quotation, or a dialect-focused text, preserve the speaker's variety when it matters to the text.
Standard notice: No visitors may enter without an appointment.
The notice uses one clear negative pattern that readers of standard written English are expected to understand.
What style should an academic assignment use when its instructions request standard written English?
Use a standard negative pattern, such as 'I did not find any errors' or 'I found no errors.'
Before you go
Remember this
For standard English, choose not plus an any-word or choose a no-word without not. Check phrases with two negatives for their actual meaning, because they may express a limited positive idea. Match the grammar to the setting and respect dialect patterns that follow negative concord.
Practice with the written examples
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Double negatives: make negative meaning clear in English"
What is a double negative?
A double negative contains two negative elements in one expression or clause. In standard English, it can create a positive meaning, as in 'not unexpected', or it can be a pattern that needs revision for formal writing.
I did not save any copies of the form.
How do I make a negative sentence in standard English?
Use not with an any-word, such as 'I did not find anything', or use a no-word with an ordinary verb, such as 'I found nothing'. Both patterns communicate one negative meaning clearly.
I saved no copies of the form.
When do I use nobody instead of anybody?
Use nobody as the negative subject or object in a clause without not: 'Nobody called.' Use anybody after a negative verb or in another context where an any-word is needed: 'I did not call anybody.'
Nobody mentioned the schedule change.
Does not unlikely mean unlikely?
No. Not unlikely suggests that something may happen or is fairly likely. The wording is cautious, so a direct phrase such as likely can be clearer when you want to state your meaning plainly.
The team did not mention the schedule change to anyone.
Is negative concord wrong English?
No. Negative concord is a grammatical pattern in several English dialects, where more than one negative word can express one negative meaning. Use the standard pattern when a formal task or style guide asks for standard written English.
We have never used that entrance.