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Ask for help > WHICH ONE IS CORRECT?
WHICH ONE IS CORRECT?
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gulsahbilge67
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WHICH ONE IS CORRECT?
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Hi, colleagues !!!
Which one is correct?
- You will never find nobody like me. - You will never find anybody like me.
nobody or anybody? which one is correct to use after "never" ?
I think "never find anybody" sounds better, but there is a song title with the other option, "never find nobody".
Is it possible to use such two negatives together in one sentence?
Thanks right now.
Greetings from Turkey. |
29 Sep 2013
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flo england
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"You �ll never find anybody like me" because it �s a negative form.
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29 Sep 2013
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gulsahbilge67
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I agree with you. But there is a song by Amanda Perez, "you will never find nobody like me".
How can it be possible? I �m totally confused.
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29 Sep 2013
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almaz
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Double or even multiple negatives used to be all the rage in English until at least the 17th century. Nowadays, it�s considered non-standard (which is NOT the same as �wrong� or �incorrect�, incidentally) or characteristic of certain dialects (like Cockney). It�s not uncommon in song lyrics ( �I can�t get no satisfaction� etc). Mind you, I�m not unhappy is a perfectly standard double negative (two negative forms in the same clause).
It�s never a good idea to impose the rules of logic on language, so don�t worry about it, gulsahbilge67.
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29 Sep 2013
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cunliffe
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However, if an English student wrote �You �ll never find nobody.... � they would be corrected. In formal written English, double negatives are not acceptable. |
29 Sep 2013
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gulsahbilge67
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Thanks for the detailed explanation, Almaz. I got the point. I guess such non-standard uses may be found in almost all languages, but my question was actually about it �s practical use in daily life. I cannot impose any rule myself  , but I can only depict the accepted ones.I �m a TEFL teacher and my students may get easily complicated when I tell them this is the rule of logic but .... See ? Such uses of English may be so hard for non-native speakers.
Thank you, Cunliffe. I see it �s normally not acceptable even for English students, but possible to use in everyday language. I �ll bear it in my mind. |
29 Sep 2013
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almaz
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My pleasure, guisahbilge67. The point about logic and English grammar is that you shouldn �t confuse them. You hear people talk about "double negatives" as if one cancels out the other. Only an anally-retentive buffoon would suggest that "you will never find nobody like me" actually means "you will find someone like me" (by that logic, a triple negative would restore the negativity: "you won �t never find nobody like me" - a construction not uncommon in Cockney dialect - means "you will never find anybody like me" even though it too is most definitely non-standard).
A lot of this sort of nonsense can be laid at the door of well-meaning blowhards like Robert Lowth:
It can only help if an English language teacher can tell the difference between standard and non-standard, as well as between formal and informal. In a world of instant communication and borderless social networks, your English language learners will thank you for it.
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30 Sep 2013
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