Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: zeugma

A language instructor was discussing double-negatives with his class. “There are languages where a double-negative is an emphatic negative, such as Russian. And there are languages where a double-negative is a positive, as in English. But there are no languages where a double-positive is interpreted as a negative.”

One of the students in the back said, “Yeah, right!”


40 posted on 09/23/2016 9:59:24 AM PDT by ArGee (Not voting Trump? Two words. Justice Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies ]


To: ArGee

For those of you who don’t like the comma police, consider the following two imperatives.

Stop clubbing baby seals.
Stop clubbing, baby seals.


41 posted on 09/23/2016 10:01:36 AM PDT by ArGee (Not voting Trump? Two words. Justice Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies ]

To: ArGee
But there are no languages where a double-positive is interpreted as a negative.”
One of the students in the back said, “Yeah, right!”

haha. great.

43 posted on 09/23/2016 10:43:14 AM PDT by zeugma (Welcome to the "interesting times" you were warned about.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson