No Double Negatives!

Video details

If there were seven deadly grammar sins, one of them would surely be the sin of doubles.
What do I mean by that?
Well, oftentimes people will use double negatives in a sentence,
double prepositions, or double subjects, and sometimes it can alter
the meaning of their sentence or make their sentence really clunky.
So we want to avoid doubles.
I 'll give you an example.
The other night I was watching Saturday Night Live with my husband
and Justin Timberlake came on and I said,
" That guy can't do no wrong."
Well my husband turned to me and he said, " First of all, you're married.
Second of all, you just committed the sin of a double negative."
Let me show you what it looks like.
So if we say " He can't do no wrong " we have two negatives in the sentence.
One is the word " can't."
The positive would be to say " He can do."
The negative is to say " He can't do."
And the other negative in the sentence is to say, " no," " no wrong," as opposed to just wrong.
By doing this, by putting a double negative in the sentence, we actually
change the meaning to be the exact opposite of our intention.
What this really means is that he can't do anything right, and that's not what I intended to say.
Now I 'll show you what a double preposition looks like.
In this sentence, we say " he jumped off of the stage."
Well, here we have two prepositions.
Prepositions indicate the location of words in relation to one another.
Our two preposition are " off of."
In this case they don't change the meaning, but they're unnecessary.
It would mean the same thing if we just said, " He jumped off the stage."
It gives us a more streamlined sentence to drop one of the prepositions.
Finally, I 'll show you what a double subject looks like.
In this sentence, " Justin, he can sing," we have two subjects ; " Justin " and " he."
They both mean the same thing and therefore they're both unnecessary.
Again it's much crisper and clearer if we just say, " Justin can sing."
So, that's a little tip about avoiding the deadly sin of doubles in your writing.

If there were seven deadly grammar sins, one of them would surely be the sin of doubles.
be
the
of
would
one
them
there
seven
If
were
grammar
surely
sins
deadly
sin
doubles
What do I mean by that?
I
What
do
that
by
mean
Well, oftentimes people will use double negatives in a sentence,
a
in
Well
will
people
use
sentence
double
oftentimes
negatives
double prepositions, or double subjects, and sometimes it can alter
and
can
or
it
sometimes
double
prepositions
subjects
alter
the meaning of their sentence or make their sentence really clunky.
the
of
or
make
really
their
sentence
meaning
clunky
So we want to avoid doubles.
to
we
want
So
avoid
doubles
I 'll give you an example.
I
you
'll
an
example
give
The other night I was watching Saturday Night Live with my husband
my
with
I
The
was
night
watching
other
husband
Saturday Night Live
and Justin Timberlake came on and I said,
and
I
on
came
said
Justin Timberlake
" That guy can't do no wrong."
can't
do
That
no
wrong
guy
Well my husband turned to me and he said, " First of all, you're married.
and
my
to
he
me
Well
you're
said
married
turned
husband
First of all
Second of all, you just committed the sin of a double negative."
you
a
the
of
just
double
negative
committed
sin
Second of all
Let me show you what it looks like.
like
you
it
Let
me
what
looks
show
So if we say " He can't do no wrong " we have two negatives in the sentence.
two
can't
in
the
do
we
He
have
no
wrong
So
say
if
sentence
negatives
One is the word " can't."
is
One
can't
the
word
The positive would be to say " He can do."
be
The
do
to
can
He
would
say
positive
The negative is to say " He can't do."
is
can't
The
do
to
He
say
negative
And the other negative in the sentence is to say, " no," " no wrong," as opposed to just wrong.
is
in
the
to
And
no
wrong
just
as
say
other
sentence
negative
opposed
By doing this, by putting a double negative in the sentence, we actually
a
in
the
we
this
doing
by
By
actually
sentence
putting
double
negative
change the meaning to be the exact opposite of our intention.
be
the
to
our
of
change
meaning
exact
opposite
intention
What this really means is that he can't do anything right, and that's not what I intended to say.
is
and
I
can't
What
do
that
to
he
right
this
what
not
really
that's
say
means
anything
intended
Now I 'll show you what a double preposition looks like.
I
like
you
a
'll
Now
what
looks
show
double
preposition
In this sentence, we say " he jumped off of the stage."
the
we
he
of
this
off
In
say
sentence
jumped
stage
Well, here we have two prepositions.
two
we
have
here
Well
prepositions
Prepositions indicate the location of words in relation to one another.
in
the
to
of
words
one
another
indicate
Prepositions
location
relation
Our two preposition are " off of."
two
are
of
off
Our
preposition
In this case they don't change the meaning, but they're unnecessary.
don't
the
they
this
but
In
they're
change
meaning
case
unnecessary
It would mean the same thing if we just said, " He jumped off the stage."
the
we
He
It
off
would
same
just
thing
if
said
mean
jumped
stage
It gives us a more streamlined sentence to drop one of the prepositions.
a
the
to
more
of
It
one
us
sentence
drop
prepositions
gives
streamlined
Finally, I 'll show you what a double subject looks like.
I
like
you
a
'll
what
looks
show
subject
double
Finally
In this sentence, " Justin, he can sing," we have two subjects ; " Justin " and " he."
two
and
can
we
he
sing
have
this
In
sentence
subjects
Justin
They both mean the same thing and therefore they're both unnecessary.
and
the
They
same
they're
thing
both
mean
therefore
unnecessary
Again it's much crisper and clearer if we just say, " Justin can sing."
and
can
it's
we
sing
much
just
say
if
Again
Justin
crisper
clearer
So, that's a little tip about avoiding the deadly sin of doubles in your writing.
little
a
in
the
your
of
about
that's
So
writing
tip
avoiding
deadly
sin
doubles