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Introduction to Exercise 2 - Avoiding double negatives
Grammar Explanation

•  Use only one negative in a clause. Using more than one negative in a single sentence is incorrect. 
  • Incorrect: Joe will not get no parole before serving at least ten years.
  • Corrected: Joe will not get parole before serving at least ten years.
•  Pronouns such as nobody, no one, none, nothing are negative. Do not use them with no or not.
  • Incorrect: The defendant has not done nothing illegal.
  • Corrected: The defendant has not done anything illegal.
•  Never and neither have negative meanings. Do not use them with no or not.
  • Incorrect: Mr. Myers doesn't agree with the proposal neither.
  • Corrected: Mr. Myers doesn't agree with the proposal either.
•  Words such as barely, scarcely, hardly are considered negative. Do not use them with no or not. 
  • Incorrect: The politicians don't hardly understand what caused the sudden shift in public opinion.
  • Corrected: The politicians hardly understand what caused the sudden shift in public opinion.
PDFDownload Grammar Explanation (PDF)
What You Will Do

The following passage contains mistakes with double negatives. Click on the word or phrase that contains the mistake. When you click, a box will appear. Type the correct word or phrase in this box and then click the INSERT button. When you have finished making all the corrections, click DONE to compare WHAT YOU WROTE with WHAT WE WROTE. 
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