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How to Make Negative Sentences

past, present and future

How to MakeNegative Sentencespast, present and future
Beginner English, Lesson 2. Negative sentences
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Many English verb tenses use auxiliary verbs that take part in the changes needed when expressing negation and interrogation. There are a few simple grammar rules which are applied to all tenses and verb forms.


NOTE: The verb to be uses a different negation pattern.

Simple Present

do + not = don’t

does + not = doesn’t


SUBJECT + DO/DOES + NOT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB

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Khadija plays soccer. She doesn't play basketball.
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Corinne loves steak. She doesn't eat many vegetables.
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I am Canadian. I am not Russian.
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Natalia doesn't play soccer. She plays basketball.
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Gia is a vegetarian. She doesn't eat meat.
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I am Colombian. I am not Canadian.

SIMPLE PAST

did + not = didn’t


SUBJECT + DID + NOT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB

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I didn't go to Italy. I went to the Ivory Coast. I didn't visit Europe. I visited Africa.
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They didn't do the dishes, but they did the laundry.
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We didn't study nursing, we studied accounting. We are accountants. We are not nurses.

Present Progressive

am + not (*no amn’t)

is + not = isn’t

are + not = aren't


SUBJECT + AM/IS/ARE + NOT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB +ING

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I am not making a pie. I am making pudding chômeur.
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He isn't studying English. He is studying German.
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We aren't buying food, we're only buying toilet paper.

Past Progressive

was + not = wasn’t

were + not = weren’t



SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + NOT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB +ING

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He was sweeping, but she wasn't helping. She was watching TV.
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It wasn't raining yesterday, but it was very windy.
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We were eating pancakes at IHOP when she took our picture. We were eating breakfast. We weren't eating lunch.

Simple Future

will + not = won’t


SUBJECT + WILL + NOT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB

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Ginny and Becca will play video games after school today. They won't study.
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Next summer, I will go to Morocco. I will not go to South Africa. I won't go to Egypt either.
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After work, they will have wine and beer. Hopefully, they won't drink too much.
How to make good negative sentences: No or Not in English Grammar
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Anglais pré-collégial © 2023 by Rebecca Peters, Cégep Édouard-Montpetit/Entente Canada-Québec is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/