Part 11 (2/2)

18 I was lish literature

19 The girls were nearly dressed in the same color

20 He merely wanted to see you

46 DOUBLE NEGATIVES _I am here_ is called an affirmative stateative state_, etc, are all negative words; that is, they serve to atives should never be used in the saative you wish to assert, and an affirative is intended _We haven't no books_, ative form would be, _We have no books_, or _We haven't any books_ The mistake occurs usually where such forms as _isn't, don't, haven't_, etc, are used Exa: _It isn't no_ use

Wrong: There _don't none_ of the_

_Hardly, scarcely, only_, and _but_ (in the sense of _only_) are often incorrectly used with a negative Co: It was so dark that we _couldn't hardly_ see

Right: It was so dark that we _could hardly_ see

Wrong: There _wasn't only_ one person present

Right: There _was only_ one person present

EXERCISE 26

Correct the following sentences:

1 I can't find it nowhere

2 For a time I couldn't scarcely tell where I was

3 They are not allowed to go only on holidays

4 There isn't but one person that can make the speech

5 They didn't find no treasure

6 It won't take but a few minutes to read it all

7 I haven't seen but two men there

8 There isn't no one here who knows it

9 I didn't see no fire; my opinion is that there wasn't no fire

10 I can't hardly prove that stateo

12 She couldn't stay only a week

13 I hadn't scarcely reached shelter when the storan

14 You wouldn't scarcely believe that it could be done

15 He said that he wouldn't bring only his wife

16 There isn't nothing in the story

17 He doesn't do nothing

18 I can't think of nothing but that

19 He can't hardly ht as I

21 He can't hardly co about it

23 She can't only do that