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Belly Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Negative+negative = positive or not?
I have some sentences here:
1)
I do not know anything
I do not know a thing
I do not know nothing
I think I have heard the three somewhere, is the third sentence can only be used in Informal English to mean" I don't know anything:?
2)
Many years ago, people often said" A woman's place is in the home". But Americans do not feel that way_____more
a) any
b) no
Why we choose a but not b?
1)
I do not know anything
I do not know a thing
I do not know nothing
I think I have heard the three somewhere, is the third sentence can only be used in Informal English to mean" I don't know anything:?
2)
Many years ago, people often said" A woman's place is in the home". But Americans do not feel that way_____more
a) any
b) no
Why we choose a but not b?
Top answer
Hi Belly Not + no shouldn't be used at the same time. ) is OK: Such remarks are not un common where he lives. CB
- Hi Belly Not + no shouldn't be used at the same time.
- ) is OK: Such remarks are not un common where he lives.
- CB
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4 Answers
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Hi Belly
Not + no shouldn't be used at the same time. However, not + a negative prefix (un, in, il, ir etc.) is OK:
Such remarks are not uncommon where he lives.
CB
Not + no shouldn't be used at the same time. However, not + a negative prefix (un, in, il, ir etc.) is OK:
Such remarks are not uncommon where he lives.
CB
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I don't know anything
Anything sounds negative, doesn't it? So if it sounds negative, why would people still use that structure?
Anything sounds negative, doesn't it? So if it sounds negative, why would people still use that structure?
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BellyI don't know anythingYou ask them, perhaps they'll tell you.
Anything sounds negative, doesn't it? So if it sounds negative, why would people still use that structure?
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Cool BreezeYou may say anything.Most grammarians argue a double negative makes a sentence positive but it is not true.For example: "You may say anything." does not mean the same as "You may not say nothing."
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