Michael's English Usage

Grammar Lessons from a Grumpy Old English Teacher

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MONDAY’S WORD MUSINGS

Monday, November 19, 2012 By Michael Lyons Leave a Comment

RULE OF THE WEEK

DOUBLE NEGATIVES

Not all double negatives are incorrect.

There is nothing wrong with using two negatives together to say something positive.
“I can’t not buy that beautiful Ferrari.”

The only double negative that is not acceptable is one that uses two negatives to say something negative.
“I don’t see nothing.”
Source: Patricia T. O’Conner, “Origins of the Specious”.

NICETY/NICENESS

Define “nicety” and “niceness”.
What part of speech is each word?
Explain the difference in meaning between “nicety” and “niceness”.
Create sentences for “nicety” and “niceness” that demonstrate the meaning of each word.

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “annihilative”.
What part of speech is “annihilative”?
What other parts of speech can be made from “annihilative”?
Define “annihilative” and correctly use it in a sentence.

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