the present invention relates to a method of driving an active - matrix type of liquid crystal display device that has a plurality of row electrodes to which a scanning signal is applied , a plurality of column electrodes to which a data signal is applied , and a plurality of picture elements formed at a plurality of intersections between these row and column electrodes , each of these pixels comprising a liquid crystal layer and a two - terminal element having non - linear resistance characteristics connected in series therewith by means of applying a voltage of a difference signal between a scanning signal and a data signal to the pixels . a compensatory voltage is applied to each pixel immediately before a data write period during which the liquid crystal layer of the pixel is charged with a data charge voltage corresponding to a display gradation . this compensatory voltage is a voltage that charges the liquid crystal layer with a compensatory charge voltage of a polarity opposite to that of the data charge voltage . the relationship between the two voltages is such that when the magnitude of the data charge voltage is large , that of the compensatory charge voltage is small ; when the magnitude of the data charge voltage is small , that of the compensatory charge voltage is large . this reduces the occurrence of afterimages that are caused by i - v characteristic shift in a non - linear two - terminal element .