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 thereissomeone there and the
second means Ihavegot some lunch.
There is a choice of two correct versions. Onlyonenegative
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
92 / PART ONE: THE BASICS