Box-Cox data transformation to enable linear regression

I am performing multiple linear regression to predict a score (dependent variable) from multiple categorical variables. My dependent variable has skewed distribution with a large number of zero values but no negative values. Can I use Box-Cox transformation in this scenario?

I tried to run it in R, but got the error message - "Error in boxcox.default(linreg1) : response variable must be positive"

• What would you hope to accomplish by transforming your response variable? – Dave Jul 24 '20 at 16:19
• Transformation of response variable was to make sure i get a good fitting model, considering the normality assumption in linear regression. – CBGodbole Jul 24 '20 at 16:23
• Normality, when we assume it, has to do with the error term, not the pooled distribution of the observations of the response variable. Further, that assumption has to do with parameter inference, not prediction. (We even get the Gauss-Markov theorem to work without a normal error term!) That said, it seems like you are in a situation where a zero-inflated generalized linear model might be more appropriate than a linear model. – Dave Jul 24 '20 at 16:38
• Cox very much deserves his (in this case) capital. – Nick Cox Jul 24 '20 at 17:29
• There is no boxcox function in base R. – whuber Jul 24 '20 at 19:10