Negation: Making Negative Statements
Negation changes a positive statement into a negative one.
Negation with Auxiliary Verbs
Add not after the auxiliary verb:
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| She is working. | She is not working. |
| They have finished. | They have not finished. |
| He can swim. | He can not swim. |
| We will go. | We will not go. |
Negation with “Do/Does/Did”
When there’s no auxiliary, use do not / does not / did not:
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| I like coffee. | I do not like coffee. |
| She works here. | She does not work here. |
| They went home. | They did not go home. |
Note: Main verb returns to base form:
- She works → She does not work
- They went → They did not go
Negation with “Be”
Add not after “be”:
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| I am happy. | I am not happy. |
| She is a doctor. | She is not a doctor. |
| They are ready. | They are not ready. |
| He was late. | He was not late. |
Contractions
In spoken and informal written English:
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| is not | isn’t |
| are not | aren’t |
| was not | wasn’t |
| were not | weren’t |
| have not | haven’t |
| has not | hasn’t |
| had not | hadn’t |
| do not | don’t |
| does not | doesn’t |
| did not | didn’t |
| will not | won’t |
| would not | wouldn’t |
| can not | can’t |
| could not | couldn’t |
| should not | shouldn’t |
| must not | mustn’t |
Examples:
- I don’t like coffee.
- She isn’t coming.
- They haven’t finished.
- He won’t be late.
Other Negative Words
No, None, Nothing, Nobody, Nowhere, Never
- I have no money.
- None of them came.
- Nothing happened.
- Nobody knows.
- I found it nowhere.
- I never drink coffee.
Neither, Nor
- Neither answer is correct.
- I don’t like it, nor does she.
Double Negatives
In standard English, avoid using two negatives in one clause:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| I don’t have any money. | |
| She didn’t see anybody. | |
| We can’t go anywhere. | |
| I never said anything. |
Rule: Use “any” words with “not”:
- not + anything (not
nothing) - not + anybody (not
nobody) - not + anywhere (not
nowhere)
Negative Questions
- Don’t you like it?
- Isn’t she coming?
- Haven’t you finished yet?
Quiz
Test Your Knowledge of Negation
1. How do you make 'She speaks French' negative?
2. What is the correct contraction for 'will not'?
3. Which sentence is correct?
4. How do you make 'I saw somebody' negative?
5. What does 'mustn't' mean?