Page 106 - Improve_Your_Written_English [Marion_Field]

92 / P ART ONE: THE B AS ICS

He forgot his wife’s birthday.
Clare was absent in the afternoon.

Avoid double negatives which make a positive:

There isn’t no one there.
I haven’t got no lunch.

The ‘not’ and the ‘no’ cancel each other out and therefore
the first example means there is someone there and the
second means I have got some lunch.

There is a choice of two correct versions. Only one negative
should be used if the sense is to be kept:

There isn’t anyone there.

or

There is no one there.

I haven’t got any lunch.

or

I have no lunch.

Avoid double negatives.

CHECKING YOUR WORK
Always check your work to make sure that it makes sense.
Avoid vagueness and expressions which add nothing to your