OK, I've written a couple of sentences in my latest WIP that have me scratching my head. They sound correct to my "ears", but when I look at them carefully, I'm not sure that they actually mean what I intend them to mean.
For example:
In the sentence:
He had little doubt that they weren't the same shoes he'd already bought.
Now, does this mean
a) He was pretty sure that these were the same shoes he'd already bought
or
b) He was pretty sure that these were not the same shoes he'd already bought
Another one is:
She wondered if perhaps she hadn't dreamt the whole thing altogether.
Does this mean
a) She wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing?
or
b) She wondered if she had not dreamt the whole thing?
In both instances, my intention is to say a but I fear that I've said b instead. Which is the correct way? The more I think about it, the more confused I become.
What's this called? Is it a double negative?
Do I just think too much?
Lynn
