Is this a double negative please?

[CathsKidStan]

If someone asks you "was they (people) of any help?" And the reply is "not much, I don't think" is that a kind of double negative?

Thanks

That is technically a double negative, but I think most people would take it to be a negative.

No it's not a double negative.

Thank you. Should it have been "were they" rather than "was they"?

Were they

But it seems I was wrong last time!

Yes, it should be 'Were they' & no, that's not a double neg, it seems a definite neg, to me, but I see your point.

Thank you again. I very rarely post on FB but when I do I'm very critical of myself. I just need to chillax. Now I'm going to stress about the use of that word in pedants corner

Pedants' corner. Aaaah! Step away from the ipad.

"Was they" is bad grammar, obviously. The reply is not a double negative . Is Pedants' Corner the place for you, op?

Negative schmegative, you seriously had to ask if 'Was they' was correct English???

Jesus H Christ on a bendy bus.

OP, that weren't no double negative

Does anybody else share my view that we should be kind to those who come here with a genuine enquiry and reserve any harshness for those who come to mock our pedantry - and, of course, those who claim to know but are actually wrong?

I'd figure 'was' was a typo.

It isn't a double negative because you wouldn't say 'not much, I think'. So the second 'not' isn't superfluous. And you can't say 'I don't think much' by analogy with 'I don't think so' because that means something else.