Negative Sentences

Negative Sentences

How to form negative verb forms: Negative verb forms are made by putting not after an auxiliary verb. If there are two auxiliary verbs, not goes after the first.

• She has not been invited.

• I have not forgotten that.

• She has not come.

• They are not interested.

• She cannot sing. (Note that cannot is written as one word.)

If there is no other auxiliary verb, we make negatives by putting do not (contracted form: don’t) before the verb.

• I do not like cricket. 

• She does not like him.

• I did not want to go.

‘Not’ is one of the most common words in English. We use it to make negative sentences.

• We are friends. (Affirmative)

• We are not friends. (Negative)

• I know the answer. (Affirmative)

• I do not know the answer. (Negative)

Not even.

Not even is used to talk about negative extremes.

• She cannot even write her name.

• The boy does not even remember his name.

The expression ‘or not’ is often used to avoid the repetition of something in the negative.

• Will you listen to me or not?

• Are you coming with me or not?

Note that do not is followed by the infinitive without to.

• I did not go. (NOT I did not to go.)

Negative imperatives are made with do not / don’t + infinitive without to.

• Do not make a noise. OR Don’t make a noise. (NOT Make not a noise.)

• Don’t pluck flowers.

• Don’t walk on the grass.

Do is not normally used with be. However, do can be used to make the negative imperative form of be.

• Don’t be silly.

Negative replies have the following structure: No, subject + auxiliary verb + not

• Have they lodged a complaint?

• No, they haven’t lodged a complaint?

Short answers are preferred in everyday speech.

• No, they haven’t.

Note that the ‘not’ is usually contracted and becomes a part of the auxiliary verb.

• Have you finished the job?

• No, I haven’t finished the job. OR No, I haven’t.

• Has she given her consent?

• No, she hasn’t given her consent. OR No, she hasn’t.

• Are they joining us?

• No, they aren’t joining us. OR No, they aren’t.

The form of the auxiliary verb has to agree with the number and person of the subject. The pronouns and the auxiliary verbs used with them are given below.

• I – am, was, have, had

• He / she / it – is, was, has, had

• We – are, were, have, had

• You – are, were, have, had

• They – are, were, have, had

Negative replies in the simple present and simple past tenses are made with do + not.

• Does she live with her parents?

• No, she doesn’t.

Note that after do, does and did, we use the infinitive (first or base form of the verb) without to.

• Did she come?

• No, she didn’t come. (NOT No, she didn’t came.)