DOUBLE NEGATIVE

Hearing the current resident of the White House blame his reprehensible behavior on the use or misuse of a "double negative", was typical of his ignorance.  

Adverbs such as hardly, rarely, scarcely, barely, and seldom, should not be used in the same clause with a negative word as it creates a double negative.  Adverbs which suggest "few", "little", and "not often", should not be used with a negative.

During the Fair week, someone used "couldn't hardly" and that transported me back in time as I recall my teacher Miss Digman physically recoiling when a classmate said it. I knew at the time that it was incorrect usage, and that I undoubtedly would never say or write it in my lifetime, but that vision of Miss Digman's reaction is indelibly etched in my brain and has kept me vigilant.

An acquaintance quizzed my using "were" instead of "was" in a sentence, "If that were the case....." Of course I know that "if" in that sentence requires the subjunctive mood and "were" is correct, but the acquaintance said it sounded "wrong" and "stilted" and although pleased with her use of the word "stilted", I replied, "It sounds correct, as it were." 

"As it were.":  my brothers and I laugh and imitate our teacher Mr. Kelley when we use the subjunctive mood, as Mr. Kelley would often say "As it were."

I'm glad to have had some good teachers.