Learn to add negation with 'not' and negative words in English. Explore grammar rules and examples of negative sentences in English

1. Spoken English
Negation in English
by
Ash Vyas

2. Negation in English Grammar
Negation states that something is not true or incorrect.
There are 2 ways to add negation in the sentence:
1. Add word “Not”
2. Use negative words such as:
None, Neither.. nor, No-one, Never, Nobody, Nothing, Nowhere,
Little, a little, few, a few, Hardly, Hardly ever, rarely, scarcely, seldom.
Note: When you use negative word, don’t use word ‘Not’

3. ‘Not’ with To be Verb [Present Tense]
Examples:
I am working hard. -> I am not (aren’t) working hard.
He/She/It is working hard. -> He/She/It is not (isn’t) working hard
They/You/We are working hard. -> They/You/We are not (aren’t) working hard.

4. ‘Not’ with To be Verb [Past Tense]
Examples:
I was working hard. -> I was not (wasn’t) working hard.
He/She/It was working hard. -> He/She/It was not (wasn’t) working hard.
They/You/We were working hard. -> They/You/We were not (weren’t) working
hard.

5. ‘Not’ with To be Verb [Future Tense]
Examples:
I will work hard. -> I will not (won’t) work hard.
He/She/It will work hard. -> He/She/It will not (won’t) work hard.
They/You/We will work hard. -> They/You/We will not (won’t) work hard.

6. ‘Not’ with Auxiliaries
Examples:
•I/You/We/They do not(don't) want to do the dishes!
•He/She/It does not(doesn't) have the license!
•I/You/We/They did not(didn't) want to do the dishes!
•He/She/It did not(didn't) have the license!
•I/You/We/They haven’t run faster.
•He/She/It hasn’t run faster.
•I/You/We/They/ He/She/It hadn’t ran faster.

7. Notes:
•Sometimes, you will not see the auxiliary in the sentence. So you need to add it by
identifying the tense.
•For present tense, auxiliary will be do or does and for past tense auxiliary will be
did. Please use infinitive with auxiliary.
Example:
I want to dance -> I don’t want to dance.
She went shopping yesterday -> She didn’t go shopping yesterday.

8. ‘Not’ with Modal Verbs

9. Negative Words
Positive Word Negative Verb Negative Word
Some Not Any No
Someone Not Anyone No-one
Something Not Anything Nothing
Always Not ever Never
Still Not Anymore No Longer
Both Not… either.. Or Neither…. Nor
Much Not Much (very) little
Many Not many (Very) few

12. Neither
Neither allows us to make a negative statement about two people or things at the
same time.
Example:
Neither dress fitted her. (There were two dresses and not one of them fitted her.)
Neither of us went to the concert.

13. Neither…. Nor
Neither … nor connects two or more negative alternatives.
Example:
•Italy didn’t get to the quarter finals last year. Also, France didn’t get to the quarter finals.
•Neither Italy nor France got to the quarter finals last year.
•She doesn’t like coffee. She doesn’t like tea.
•She likes neither coffee nor tea
Note:
Don’t add ‘Not’ while using negative words.

25. Any Questions?
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