Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
HARDLY / NEVER HARDLY / NOT HARDLY
The adverb hardly can be considered a negative since it means barely, almost not, or almost never. Therefore, the expressions never hardly and not hardly are technically double negatives and generally considered to be improper English.
INCORRECT: I never hardly go to the movies anymore.
CORRECT: I hardly ever go to the movies anymore.
ALSO CORRECT: I hardly go to the movies anymore.
ALSO CORRECT: I almost never go to the movies anymore.
INCORRECT: I don’t hardly remember anything I learned in history class.
CORRECT: I hardly remember anything I learned in history class.
ALSO CORRECT: I remember almost nothing that I learned in history class.
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