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Double Negatives
The hard and fast rule that it’s all right to break. Sometimes.
The double negative is frowned upon in general writing, but it can add a raw edge to direct speech, because people often use it. Take a look at these examples to see the double negative in action.
“She was with me all the time; she never shot nobody.”
“I’m as free as a bird, and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”
They seem quite natural because we are used to hearing people talk in that way. Technically, though, they are incorrect.
The thing about double negatives is that they combine to produce a positive. If we break down the first example above, we find that if “she never shot nobody”, then she must have shot somebody. That’s how it works.
Had the sentence read, “she shot nobody,” or “she never shot anybody,” then it would have been gramatically correct, and the girl would be off the hook. Similarly, the second example could be modified to, “there ain’t anything you can do about it,” or “there’s nothing you can do about it.”
But being technically correct isn’t always the best choice for what is unfolding. In tense situations, say a Mexican standoff, the etiquette of speech and grammar can go unobserved, as what is said reflects the situation.
