{"id":394,"date":"2014-07-25T20:10:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T20:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/writershandbook\/?post_type=chapter&p=394"},"modified":"2017-01-04T23:30:57","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T23:30:57","slug":"21-19-not-and-other-negative-words","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-styleguide\/chapter\/21-19-not-and-other-negative-words\/","title":{"raw":"21.19 Not and Other Negative Words","rendered":"21.19 Not and Other Negative Words"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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21.19<\/span> Not<\/em> and Other Negative Words<\/h2>\r\n
\r\n\r\nFigure 21.4<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nTo form a negative in English, you have to add a negative word to the sentence. Some of the negative words in English are shown in the blue arrow. Typically, you should place the negative word before the main verb.\r\n

I was barely<\/em> awake when I heard you come home.<\/p>\r\n

Kurt is not<\/em> going with us.<\/p>\r\nIn casual English, it is common to form contractions, or shortened combined words, with the auxiliary or linking verb and the word not<\/em>. Contractions are typically not acceptable in very formal writing but are becoming more and more common in certain academic and public contexts.\r\n

I haven\u2019t heard that before.<\/p>\r\n

Jill isn\u2019t my cousin.<\/p>\r\nUsing two negative words in the same sentence changes the meaning of the negative words to positive, thus supporting the common saying \u201cTwo negatives make a positive.\u201d Think of it as being similar to multiplying two negative numbers and getting a positive number. Double negatives are often used in extremely casual talk but never in professional or academic settings.\r\n

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Example<\/h3>\r\nCorrect:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t hear anything.\r\n\r\nIncorrect:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t hear nothing. (The two negatives change to a positive, so the sentence technically means \u201cI heard something.\u201d)\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n ","rendered":"

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21.19<\/span> Not<\/em> and Other Negative Words<\/h2>\n
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Figure 21.4<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

To form a negative in English, you have to add a negative word to the sentence. Some of the negative words in English are shown in the blue arrow. Typically, you should place the negative word before the main verb.<\/p>\n

I was barely<\/em> awake when I heard you come home.<\/p>\n

Kurt is not<\/em> going with us.<\/p>\n

In casual English, it is common to form contractions, or shortened combined words, with the auxiliary or linking verb and the word not<\/em>. Contractions are typically not acceptable in very formal writing but are becoming more and more common in certain academic and public contexts.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t heard that before.<\/p>\n

Jill isn\u2019t my cousin.<\/p>\n

Using two negative words in the same sentence changes the meaning of the negative words to positive, thus supporting the common saying \u201cTwo negatives make a positive.\u201d Think of it as being similar to multiplying two negative numbers and getting a positive number. Double negatives are often used in extremely casual talk but never in professional or academic settings.<\/p>\n

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Example<\/h3>\n

Correct:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t hear anything.<\/p>\n

Incorrect:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t hear nothing. (The two negatives change to a positive, so the sentence technically means \u201cI heard something.\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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