# Negation and Double Negatives: Rules and Examples | SwaVid

Negation and double negatives: rules, worked examples and a quick check for Class 6 to 12 English grammar, CBSE and ICSE. Free practice on SwaVid.

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# Negation and double negatives: rules and examples

## The rule, step by step

## Check yourself

## Common mistakes

## Frequently asked questions

## Keep practising

### Quick reference

### What is the rule for negation and double negatives?

### Can you give examples of negation and double negatives?

### What mistakes do students make in negation and double negatives?

### Grammar checker for students

### Free English grammar test

### More in Usage, Correction and Passages

Short answer. Nobody means no person. Nothing means no thing. Never means at no time. None means not one of a group. Pick the word that fits what you mean.

1 . Choose the right word. Kavi rang the bell, but ___ opened the door.

2 . Choose the right word. The shop had ___ sugar left, so Amma bought jaggery.

nobody = no person, nothing = no thing, never = at no time, none = not one of a group

Nobody means no person. Nothing means no thing. Never means at no time. None means not one of a group. Pick the word that fits what you mean.

Nobody was in the art room. Neither Tara nor Dev forgot the bag. The shop sold every bun, so none was left.

Wrong: We had none milk. Right: We had no milk. (None stands alone) Wrong: The kitten has not gone nowhere. Right: The kitten has not gone anywhere. (Swap no words for any words)

Finds the mistake and names the rule.

Your child's level and 3 topics to fix first.

All the topics in this chapter, one rule at a time.

- Person, thing or time . Ask yourself: is it a person, a thing or a time? Use nobody for a person, nothing for a thing and never for a time.
- Groups and pairs . For a group of three or more, use none of. For two things, use neither with nor: it means not this one and not that one.
- Neither, nor and none alone . Neither must be followed by nor: neither this nor that. None can stand alone when the group is already named, or take of: none of them.
- No or not . No comes just before a noun, like no milk or no time. Not comes after a helping verb such as do, did, will or must, or after is, am, are, was or were.
- No before a noun . No sits right before the thing that is missing. You do not need a helping verb with it.
- Nobody was in the art room.
- Neither Tara nor Dev forgot the bag.
- The shop sold every bun, so none was left.
- None of the boys plays hockey.
- There is no ink in my pen.
- Sunita did not phone us.
- We had none milk. → We had no milk. None stands alone
- The kitten has not gone nowhere. → The kitten has not gone anywhere. Swap no words for any words
- Ravi didn't tell nobody. → Ravi didn't tell anybody. Spot the extra negative
- I have never seen nothing so tall. → I have never seen anything so tall. Spot the extra negative

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