NewsBlues mrsbgrammar Page 26
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Mrs. Bluezette's Grammar Guide
double negatives
Watch out for those double negatives.
(wrong) I don't have "no" money.
Does that mean you have SOME money?
As in math, two negatives make a positive.
If you were broke, you would say:
v
I HAVE NO money.
Or
v
I DON'T HAVE ANY money.
When Mrs. B hears someone say, "He can't hardly lift the camera,"
she wants to ask, "Can he only lift it EASILY?"
The correct pairing of words is "CAN hardly."
v
He CAN HARDLY lift the camera.
Mrs. B bets you can hardly wait for the next grammar lesson.
And if you CAN, here's a thought to inspire your enthusiasm for
staying with the course:
"Language is the apparel in which your thoughts parade in
public. Never clothe them in vulgar and shoddy attire."
--Dr. George W. Crane
