46. Correct Usage—No, Not, Never
Reading edition
I haven'tmeansI have not
you don'tmeansyou do not
he doesn'tmeanshe does not
nevermeansnot ever
It is a common mistake to use two not-words in a sentence when one is enough. Each of the following sentences is correct. Each contains only one not-word.
1. I have never seen your father.
2. I haven't ever seen your father.
3. I have no money in my pocket.
4. I haven't any money in my pocket.
5. I don't see any mistakes in this example.
6. I see no mistakes in this example.
7. I don't ever go down that street at night.
8. I never go down that street at night.
Oral Exercise. 1. Point out the not-word in each of the eight sentences above. Are there any sentences there that need another not-word? Do you see that the second sentence is only another way of saying the first? Which sentence do you like better, the first or the second? The third or the fourth? The fifth or the sixth? The seventh or the eighth?
2. Say each of the following sentences in another way without changing the meaning:
1. I haven't any ink.
2. He has no book.
3. She hasn't any paper, and I haven't a pencil.
4. I have no ticket.
5. My father doesn't do any work on Saturday.
6. My father does not play any kind of instrument.
7. Haven't you ever seen a circus?
8. I have no pocketknife.
9. I haven't seen a ball game this year.
10. He had no money to spend.
Game. A pupil, who may be called John, is sent from the room. The teacher gives a flower, a piece of colored paper, a thermometer, or some other object that is not usually found in pupils' desks, to a member of the class. Then John is told that he may return.
Teacher: John, some one in this room has a flower (or whatever the object may be) in his desk. Try to guess whose desk it is. You may ask any of your classmates whether they have it.
John (to a classmate): Have you that flower in your desk?
The Classmate (if he does not have it): I have no flower in my desk (or, I haven't any flower in my desk).
The Classmate (if he has it): I have it in my desk. Here it is.
