Common Errors In English

Lets take a look at this error that is commonly used in English conversation.

John: “Peter, please help me with my ATM card I’m having issues with it”.

Peter: “What? I don’t know nothing about ATM cards”.

Can you tell what is wrong with Peter’s response?

This is the error of the usage of double negatives. I don’t know or I do not know is a negative statement. Nothing about ATM cards is also a negative statement. The use of double negatives in a single sentence is not permissive in English language. So, the right structure is:-

”I don’t know anything about ATM cards” or “I know nothing about ATM cards’.

Some other examples of the use of double negatives are:

a. She doesn’t have no money. ( She doesn’t have money)

b. Paula doesn’t go nowhere during holidays. (Paula doesn’t go anywhere during holidays)

c. They don’t have nobody to support them. (They don’t have anybody to support them)

d. My eyes are bad, I can’t see nothing. (My eyes are bad, I can’t see anything)