Negation in English is not as simple as one thinks. There are lots of subtleties and changes to think about when you make a negative sentence. Let’s review all that!
A Video Summary About Negation in English
A few explanations about Negation in English
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
A Video Summary About Negation in English
A few explanation about Negation in English
In the English language there are several ways to make a sentence negative.
This can be through the use of an auxiliary, by simply adding ‘not’, or using certain words that carry a negative meaning.
1. Negation with the simple tenses
Present simple with the verb BE – we just need to add ‘not’ to the verb BE
e.g., I am English → I am not English
Present simple with other verbs – we need to use the auxiliary ‘do’ and ‘not’
e.g., I like eating mushrooms → I don’t like eating mushrooms.
The past simple with BE and other verbs behaves in exactly the same way!
2. Negation with other tenses
With other more complex tenses that already contain an auxiliary, we do not need to add another auxiliary, we simply add ‘not’ to the auxiliary we already have.
e.g. Past Continuous
I was going to the shops → I wasn’t going to the shops
e.g. Present perfect
I have been to Paris → I haven’t been to Paris
3. Negation with modal verbs
Modal verbs behave like an auxiliary verb, so we simply add ‘not’
e.g. I can swim fast → I can’t swim fast
COMMON MISTAKES
Be careful with double negatives!
Some words in English already carry a negative meaning (e.g., never = not ever)
When using these words, we have to be careful not to add another negative.
e.g., I am not never hungry (INCORRECT)
I am never hungry (CORRECT)
If you are already using ‘not’ in your sentences try making the following changes,
nothing → anything
nobody → anybody
neither → either
no → any
none → any
Change ‘some’ for ‘any’
When we form a negative sentence, we don’t use some, someone, something, or somebody. Instead, we use any, anyone, anything, or anybody.
e.g., I don’t know somebody at this party (INCORRECT)
I don’t know anybody at this party (CORRECT)
Use suffixes and prefixes
A lot of adjectives can be made negative by using a suffix or a prefix
e.g. HAPPY → UNHAPPY
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Exercises about Negation
Exercise 1 Make the following sentences negative
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Exercise 2 Match the positive word with the correct suffix or prefix to make a negative word.
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Exercise 3 Find SEVEN mistakes in the following story – think about double negatives and the use of any.
Now re-write the story correctly
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