Double Negatives Worksheet 1

Double Negatives Worksheet 1

Negative words: no, not, nobody, nothing, none, never, hardly, scarcely, barely, only. Using two negatives in the same sentence gives the opposite meaning, but it does the job awkwardly. Avoid double negatives!

In these sentences, underline each correct word in parentheses.

1. She couldn’t eat (anything, nothing).

2. I didn’t see (nothing, anything).

3. We (could, couldn’t) hardly see through the fog.

4. She did not have (anything, nothing) to read.

5. I could not see (no, any) way to help.

6. I cannot find my money (anywhere, nowhere).

7. You (can, cannot) scarcely recognize her.

8. The children do not need (no, any) candy.

9. We barely had (any, no) money.

10. William (could, couldn’t) hardly wait.

11. Jim was not carrying (no, any) packages.

12. The tear in his shirt (was, was not) barely noticeable.

13. The lecturer did not say (anything, nothing) interesting.

14. Of all the cars I tried, I did not buy (none, any).

15. The baby (cannot, can) hardly walk yet.

16. Isn’t there (nothing, anything) you want for Christmas?

17. Haven’t you (any, no) size 10 dresses?

18. We did not meet (nobody, anybody) at Jane’s party.

19. I could not find my purse (nowhere, anywhere).

20. The wind was so strong I (could, couldn’t) hardly stand.

This page is maintained by the Georgia Southern University Writing Center
Please send comments and corrections to the webmaster.
This page last updated on 2/12/03