In standard English, there should only be one negative form in the subject-predicate structure.
The negative form is created by using negative words such as nobody, no one, nowhere, nothing.
Example:
| She’s going nowhere. |
| Nobody was at home. |
The negative form may also be created by making the verb negative.
Example:
| I will cook dinner. | I will not cook dinner. |
| We are going to the theatre. | We are not going to the theatre. |
However, there are cases when we hear double and even triple negatives being used in some regional dialects of English and other languages worldwide. This is mostly used in informal conversation and is not acceptable in formal contexts especially in writing.
Double Negative
This is created by adding a negation to the verb and to words that modify the noun or the object of the verb.
Example:
| non-standard dialect | standard English |
| I couldn’t never live with nobody like that. | I couldn’t ever live with anybody like that. |
| She never mentions nothing important to no one. | She never mentions anything important to anyone. |
Double Negation with Adjectives and Adverbs ( not + negative adjective/adverb )
You can use ‘not’ + a negative adjective or adverb to make your sentence less strong. By using this form, the overall meaning of the sentence becomes positive but it shows that the writer is fully aware of it. This is mainly used in formal writing.
Example:
| It is not unimaginable that the election result will remain the same even after repeating it. |
| Misbehaving tourists are not uncommon in the city. |
| A: Your total bill is twenty euros. B. Fine, that’s not unreasonable. |