2. Negatives to Positives
When you express an idea in negative form when a positive would
suffice, you have to use an extra word.
Same vs. not different
Because the positive tends to be more direct, often the reader has to
infer meaning when the negative is used.
Do not write the negative. vs. Write the positive.
3. Negatives to Positives
Not different similar
Not notice overlook
Not the same different
Not allow prevent
Not many few
Not include omit
Not often rarely
Not admit deny
Not remember forget
Not consider ignore
Not have lack
Not accept
If you want to emphasize the negative, but most negatives can easily be
written in the positive.
4. Always Negatives
Some verbs, conjunctions, and prepositions are implicitly negative:
Verbs: preclude, prevent, lack, fail, doubt, reject, avoid, deny, refuse, exclude,
contradict, prohibit, bar
Conjunctions: except, unless
Prepositions: without, against, lacking, absent, but for
5. Multiple Negatives
When you combine multiple negatives with implicitly negative verbs,
conjunctions, and prepositions, your sentence becomes very confusing.
Example:
Except when applicants have failed to submit applications without
documentation, benefits will not be denied.
You will receive benefits only if you submit your documents
To receive benefits, submit your documents
6. Negatives, Nominalizations, and Passives
When negatives are combined with passives and nominalizations, your readers may
have difficulty understanding your sentence.
Example using two events:
There should be no submission of payments without due notification of this office, unless
the payment does not exceed $100.
First: change the nominalizations into verbs and passives into actives:
Do not submit payments if you have not notified this office, unless you are paying
less than $100.
7. Negatives, Nominalizations, and Passives
First: change the nominalizations into verbs and passives into actives:
Do not submit payments if you have not notified this office, unless you are
paying less than $100.
Next: revise the negatives into affirmatives:
Submit payments to this office only if you are paying less than $100.
If you submit more than $100, notify this office first.
8. Negatives to Positives
Here’s the point: To be direct, choose the positive.
Examples of negative phrases
A second set of rules includes those who observance we do not notice, and
whose violation we do not notice either.
Revised
A second set of rules includes those who observance we ignore, and
whose violation we ignore, as well.
9. Negatives to Positives
Example:
While it is not clear what counts as “too many” prepositions, it is clear that
when you do not use abstract nouns, you do not need most of the
prepositional phrases.
Revised:
While it is unclear what counts as “too many” prepositions, it is clear that
when you avoid abstract nouns, you need fewer of them.
