FORMATION OF THE NEGATIVE
The **formation of the negative** in English is essential for indicating that something is not true or that an action has not occurred. Creating negative sentences involves using specific words, such as *not* or *no*, along with auxiliary or helping verbs.
### **Basic Rules for Forming Negatives:**
1. **Using "not" with Auxiliary Verbs:**
The most common way to form a negative sentence is by adding *not* after an auxiliary (helping) verb.
- **Present Tense:**
- Use the auxiliary verb *do* (does for third-person singular) along with *not*.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *I like ice cream.*
- Negative: *I do not (don’t) like ice cream.*
- Positive: *He likes ice cream.*
- Negative: *He does not (doesn’t) like ice cream.*
- **Past Tense:**
- Use the auxiliary verb *did* (the same for all subjects) and *not*.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *She went to the party.*
- Negative: *She did not (didn’t) go to the party.*
2. **Using "not" with Modal Verbs:**
When using modal verbs like *can, could, will, would, may, might, must*, you add *not* after the modal verb.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *She can swim.*
- Negative: *She cannot (can’t) swim.*
- Positive: *They will help.*
- Negative: *They will not (won’t) help.*
3. **Negative with "to be" Verbs:**
When the main verb is a form of *to be* (am, is, are, was, were), the negative is formed by adding *not* directly after the verb.
- **Present Tense:**
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *I am happy.*
- Negative: *I am not happy.*
- Positive: *They are ready.*
- Negative: *They are not (aren’t) ready.*
- **Past Tense:**
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *She was tired.*
- Negative: *She was not (wasn’t) tired.*
- Positive: *We were there.*
- Negative: *We were not (weren’t) there.*
4. **Negatives with "have" Verbs:**
If the sentence uses *have* or *has* as an auxiliary verb (for perfect tenses), *not* is added after the auxiliary verb.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *He has finished his homework.*
- Negative: *He has not (hasn’t) finished his homework.*
- Positive: *They have seen the movie.*
- Negative: *They have not (haven’t) seen the movie.*
5. **Negatives in Imperative Sentences (Commands):**
To make an imperative sentence negative, place *do not* or *don’t* before the base form of the verb.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *Close the door.*
- Negative: *Do not (Don’t) close the door.*
- Positive: *Tell me the truth.*
- Negative: *Do not (Don’t) tell me the truth.*
6. **Using "No" in Negatives:**
In some cases, *no* can be used to form a negative, often replacing *not* in certain contexts.
- **Examples:**
- Positive: *There is money.*
- Negative: *There is no money.*
- Positive: *She has friends.*
- Negative: *She has no friends.*
7. **Negative Contractions:**
In informal speech and writing, contractions are commonly used to form negatives. Here are some examples of common negative contractions:
- **do not** → *don’t*
- **does not** → *doesn’t*
- **did not** → *didn’t*
- **cannot** → *can’t*
- **will not** → *won’t*
- **is not** → *isn’t*
- **are not** → *aren’t*
- **has not** → *hasn’t*
- **have not** → *haven’t*
- **was not** → *wasn’t*
- **were not** → *weren’t*
### **Examples of Negative Sentence Formation:**
1. **With action verbs:**
- Positive: *She plays tennis.*
- Negative: *She does not (doesn’t) play tennis.*
2. **With the verb "to be":**
- Positive: *They are excited.*
- Negative: *They are not (aren’t) excited.*
3. **With modal verbs:**
- Positive: *He will come tomorrow.*
- Negative: *He will not (won’t) come tomorrow.*
4. **In past tense:**
- Positive: *I visited my friend.*
- Negative: *I did not (didn’t) visit my friend.*
5. **In imperative sentences:**
- Positive: *Call me later.*
- Negative: *Do not (don’t) call me later.*
### **Double Negatives:**
In standard English, using two negative words in a sentence is generally considered incorrect. A **double negative** can create confusion and often results in a positive meaning.
- Incorrect: *I don’t have no money.* (This means you have money.)
- Correct: *I don’t have any money.*
### **Summary:**
To form negative sentences:
- Use *not* after auxiliary verbs (*do, does, did, can, will,* etc.).
- Use *not* with the *to be* verb forms (*am, is, are, was, were*).
- Use *no* when indicating the absence of something.
- Use *don’t* or *doesn’t* with action verbs in the present tense and *didn’t* for past actions.
Forming the negative properly ensures clear communication, whether in daily conversation, formal writing, or other forms of expression.
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