Select the sentence that properly avoids a double negative:
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The lab technician could not find any evidence of contamination in the sterile culture.
- Step 1: A double negative occurs when two negative words are used in the same clause, which cancels the negation or violates standard grammar rules.
- Step 2: 'Could not find any' properly pairs the negative adverb 'not' with the non-negative quantifier 'any'.
- Step 3: This expresses the intended negative meaning clearly and grammatically.
Answer
The lab technician could not find any evidence of contamination in the sterile culture.
Why not the others: 'could not find no' pairs two negatives; 'couldn't hardly' combines 'not' with the negative adverb 'hardly'; 'scarcely find no' pairs 'scarcely' with 'no'.
Practise more Grammar, Syntax, and Sentence Structure.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed Kuwait University Aptitude Tests (KUAT) mock tests.
More Grammar, Syntax, and Sentence Structure questions
- Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement:
- Identify the sentence containing a misplaced modifier error:
- Select the option that correctly uses the subjunctive mood in formal English:
- Choose the sentence with correct parallel structure:
- Identify the grammatically correct sentence involving pronoun case:
- Choose the sentence that correctly uses a semicolon to connect independent clauses: