English speaking lesson 19

Negative sentences in English

Negative sentences are sentences that express the absence or negation of something. In English, we use negative words like “not,” “never,” “no,” “neither,” “nor,” “none,” “nobody,” “nowhere,” and “nothing” to create negative sentences.

Negative sentences can be formed in different ways depending on the verb tense, verb form, and sentence structure. Here are some examples:

1. Present simple negative sentences:

To create a present simple negative sentence, we use the auxiliary verb “do” in the negative form (don’t/doesn’t) followed by the base form of the main verb. For example:

• I don’t like coffee.
• He doesn’t speak Spanish.
• They don’t eat meat.
• She doesn’t watch TV.

Note: In present simple negative sentences, we use “don’t” for the first person (I, we), second person (you), and plural subjects (they, we), and “doesn’t” for the third person singular (he, she, it).

2. Past simple negative sentences:

To create a past simple negative sentence, we use the auxiliary verb “did” in the negative form (didn’t) followed by the base form of the main verb. For example:

• I didn’t go to the party.
• He didn’t finish his homework.
• They didn’t buy the book.
• She didn’t like the movie.

Note: In past simple negative sentences, we use “didn’t” for all subjects.

3. Present continuous negative sentences:

To create a present continuous negative sentence, we use the negative form of the verb “to be” (am not/isn’t/aren’t) followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. For example:

• I’m not watching TV.
• He isn’t playing basketball.
• They aren’t studying right now.
• She isn’t working tomorrow.

Note: In present continuous negative sentences, we use “am not” for the first person singular (I), “isn’t” for the third person singular (he, she, it), and “aren’t” for the first person plural (we) and second person (you) and third person plural (they).

4. Modal verb negative sentences:

To create a negative sentence with a modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, should, would), we use the modal verb in the negative form (can’t/couldn’t/may not/might not/mustn’t/shouldn’t/wouldn’t) followed by the base form of the main verb. For example:

• I can’t swim.
• He shouldn’t smoke.
• They wouldn’t go without me.
• She mustn’t tell anyone.

Note: In modal verb negative sentences, the modal verb is always in the negative form, and the main verb is always in the base form.

5. Negative adverbial expressions:

We can also create negative sentences using negative adverbial expressions like “never,” “no,” “neither,” “nor,” “none,” “nobody,” “nowhere,” and “nothing.” For example:

• I have never been to Japan.
• There is no milk in the fridge.
• Neither of us knows the answer.
• He has nor money nor time.
• None of the books is interesting.
• Nobody came to the party.
• The restaurant is nowhere near here.
• There is nothing to worry about.

Note: In negative sentences with adverbial expressions, we use the same verb form as in affirmative sentences.

Negetive Sentences

• I do not know.
• I don’t ask anything.
• She does not come here.
• She doesn’t know how to make tea.
• He did not miss the bus yesterday.
• We haven’t heard this news.
• It’s not cold today.
• She isn’t married.
• We are not late today.
• She wasn’t in Delhi
• We didn’t attend the lecture.
• She doesn’t have a son.
• I didn’t get the letter.
• They didn’t have a conveyance.
• Don’t worry, father won’t be angry.
• Father won’t be at home tomorrow.
• We shalln’t (shall not) be late tomorrow.
• I can ride a motor cycle.
• You must not drive the car on the footpath.
• I couldn’t reach in time day before yesterday.
• You needn’t go there.
• No problem.
• Now we.shouldn’t close our shop,should we?
• It is very hot today, isn’t it?
• They are foreigners, aren’t they?
• You weren’t pleased, were you?
• It will be Sunday tomorrow, won’t it?
• We’ll be ready soon, won’t we?
• I can never forget it, can I?
• I won’t be with you tomorrow, will I?
• We have met before, haven’t we?
• You had finished your work, hadn’t you?
• You couldn’t find the book for me, could you?
• Meena shouldn’t go to bed late, should she?
• Amin must wait till12 o’clock, mustn’t he?
• She hasn’t learnt English, has she?
• You can speak English, can’t you?
• Great men don’t waste their time,do they?
• You should not talk like this,should you?
• How pleasant it is, isn’t it?
• You think yourself to be very clever, don’t you?
• She will reach here soon, won’t she?
• She reached home late again, didn’t she?
• We never forget our childhood, do we?

do + not	don’t	is + not	isn’t
were + not	weren’t	had + not	hadn’t
can + not	can’t	need + not	needn’t
does + not	doesn’t	are + not	aren’t
has + not	hasn’t	will + not	won’t
must + not	mustn’t	did + not	didn’t
was + not	wasn’t	have + not	haven’t
shall + not	shan’t	could + not	couldn’t
would + not	wouldn’t	should + not	shouldn’t

I did	didn’t I?	He was	wasn’t he?
We can	can’t we?	I must	mustn’t I?
She does not	does she?	He is	isn’t he?
You were	weren’t you?	You will	won’t you?
You would	wouldn’t you?	You do not	do you?
We are	aren’t we?	They had	hadn’t  they?
I shall	shan’t?	She could	couldn’t she?
Now they’re practicing.
I am	I’m	We are	We’re
You are	You’re	They are	They’re
He is	He’s	She is	She’s