Confusing usage words part eight
Confusing usage words part eight
In mathematics, a negative number times a negative number yields a positive number.
Similarly, in grammar, when two negative words are used (where only one is needed), the
negatives cancel each other out, making the idea positive and not negative as intended. In
the sentence, ‘‘I cannot get no respect from them,’’ the two negative words, cannot and no,
cancel each other out. Thus, the sentence is really saying, ‘‘I can get respect from them,’’
a far different thought from what seems to be the sentence’s original intention. Had the
sentence read, ‘‘I cannot get respect from them,’’ or ‘‘I can get no respect from them,’’
the meaning is quite different from that when both negative words are included in the
sentence.
Here is another example of this double negative situation. Notice the different meanings
when the negative words are included or deleted.
Two negative words in the sentence: We didn’t have no disappointments.
One negative word in the sentence:We didn’t have disappointments.
One negative word in the sentence:We had no disappointments.
the interjection
Active and passive voices
agreement between indefinite pronouns and their antecedents
agreement involving prepositional phrases
Commas Part Five
Commas Part Four
Commas Part One
Commas Part Three
Commas Part Two
complete and simple predicates
complete and simple subjects
complex sentences
compound complex sentences
compound prepositions and the preposition adverb question
compound subject and compound predicate
compound subjects
part two
compound subjects part one
Confusing usage words part eight
Confusing usage words part five
Confusing usage words part four
Confusing usage words part one
Confusing usage words part seven
Confusing usage words part six
Confusing usage words part three
Confusing usage words part three 2
Confusing usage words part two
First Capitalization List
indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns and the possessive case
introducing clauses
introducing phrases
Irregular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
irregular verbs part one
irregular verbs part two
Italics Hyphens
and Brackets
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
More Apostrophe Situations
More subject verb agreement situations
Parentheses Ellipsis Marks and Dashes
Periods Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
personal pronouns
pronouns and their antecedents
Quotation Marks
Part Three
Quotation Marks Part One
Quotation Marks Part Two
reflexive demonstrative and interrogative pronouns
Regular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
regular verb tenses
Second Capitalization List
sentences fragments and run on sentences
singular and plural nouns and pronouns
Sound a like words Part Four
Sound a like words Part Three
Sound a like words Part Two
Sound alike words part one
subject and verb agreement
subject complements predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives
subject verb agreement situations
the adjective
the adjective clause
the adjective phrase
the adverb
the adverb clause
the adverb phrase
The Apostrophe
the appositive
The Colon
The coordinating conjunction
the correlative conjunction
the direct object
the gerund and gerund phrase
the indirect object
the infinitive and infinitive phrase
The nominative case
the noun
the noun adjective pronoun question
the noun clause
the object of the preposition
the participle and participial phrase
The possessive case
The possessive case 2
The possessive case and pronouns
the preposition
the prepositional phrase
the pronoun
The Semicolon
the subordinating conjunction
the verb
The verb be
the verb phrase
Transitive and intransitive verbs
types of nouns
types of sentences by purpose
Using Capital Letters
what good writers do
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