Mistake: Double Negatives

Don't use two negatives in one clause.

Examples

• I don't have any money.

Key rules

• Standard English uses one negative per clause
• Words such as never, nothing and nobody already contain a negative sense
• Replace the second negative with a positive word such as any or anything

Common mistakes

• I don't have no money → I don't have any money
• I never see nobody → I never see anybody

Use cases

• Speaking and writing informally
• Formal exams
• Describing situations