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Obviously, you've never encountered a Limerick child squealing "I didn't
do nuttin'!"...when the guilt is plain on their faces. An example of a
double negative equaling a positive if ever there was one! :-)
Also, I don't think the original sentence, "neither...nor" really
qualifies as a double negative...they're negating two different things,
rather than the same thing twice.
My two pingin,
Aoidin
-----Original Message-----
From: Brierley, Sean [mailto:Brierley -at- QUODATA -dot- COM]
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 3:14 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Re: 2x negatives
Hallo:
My opinion is that, in the English language and not maths or
programming, a
double negative is *not* equal to a positive. A double negative
reinforces
the negative.
However, I avoid double negatives, even in technical writing <g>.
Furthermore, I also strive to only use positive statements, rather than
negative ones, usually by using the word "only." (That shows my position
on
the other "grammar question du jour, doesn't it"?)
All the best.
Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Johnson, Dick D [mailto:Dick -dot- Johnson2db8ef -at- PSS -dot- BOEING -dot- COM]
>>>Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 10:01 AM
>>>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>>>Subject:
>>>
>>>
>>>By logic, double negatives cancel each other.
