Bridget denied that she wasn't there. This means that

Analyze the question

The sentence is "Bridget denied that she wasn't there." We need to find which option has the same meaning. The key is the double negative: denied + wasn't.

Explain the concept

To deny is to say something is not true. So if Bridget denied "that she wasn't there," she rejected the claim that she was absent.

• Denied (negative) + wasn't there (negative) = positive
• So she is saying: "It is not true that I wasn't there", which means "I was there."

Step-by-step solution

1. The statement being denied is: "She wasn't there."
2. Denying that statement means saying it is false.
3. If "she wasn't there" is false, then "she was there" is true.
4. So the sentence means Bridget maintained that she was there.

Checking the options

• A. "She confessed that she wasn't there": wrong. To confess is to admit, which is the opposite of denying.
• B. "She owned up not to be there": wrong. To own up is to admit, and this also says she was absent.
• C. "She maintained she was there": matches our conclusion.
• D. "She maintained she wasn't there": wrong. This would be the meaning of "Bridget denied that she was there."

Answer: C

Exam tip

When you see "denied that... not," cancel the two negatives. Deny + negative = positive. Compare:

• "She denied that she was there" → she wasn't there
• "She denied that she wasn't there" → she was there