The reason he was tired wasthat he had been driving all
day.or
He was tired because he had been driving all day.Frequently the word ‘reason’ is superfluous. It is ‘under-
stood’ through the sense of the sentence.
Avoiding double negatives
I have not got no books.This means youhavegot some books. The ‘not’ cancels out
the ‘no’. It should be:
Ihavenot gotany books.or
Ihave gotno books.The double negative can be used for effect but it should be
used sparingly or it will lose its effect.
He wasnot unkind to her but he showed a lack of care.This would not have been so effective without the double
negative.
It wasno little achievement to win the gold medal.This would have been just as effective as:
It was a great achievement to win the gold medal.126 / IMPROVE YOUR PUNCTUATION & GRAMMAR