[Ads-l] On National Grammar Day . . .

[Baron, Dennis E]

Replying to Larry Horn’s comment,

I agree, Larry, that Lowth was prescriptivist incarnate, and I do mention that he opposed double negatives in GGT—though I don’t quote him--but curiously, my pdf copy of the 1762 Lowth has nothing on double negatives, not on p. 126, not anywhere. And though, in 1982, there were no pdfs, when I thumbed through the pages back then I didn’t see that either. He must have added that in later editions — he did that with other proscriptions (passive voice, maybe? don’t remember offhand). I have, though, sharpened the post to take your comment into consideration! Thx.

DB

On Mar 4, 2016, at 11:00 PM, ADS-L automatic digest system <LISTSERV at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:LISTSERV at listserv.uga.edu>> wrote:

Two negative in English destroy one another, or are equivalent to an affirmative


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