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Negative Statements

29 April, 2016 - 11:35

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify a negative statement.
  2. Write negative statements.

Negative statements are the opposite of positive statements and are necessary to express an opposing idea. The following charts list negative words and helping verbs that can be combined to form a negative statement.

Table 5.2 Negative Words
never no hardly
nobody none scarcely
no one not barely
nowhere   rarely
 
Table 5.3 Common Helping Verbs
am is are
was were be
being been have
has had do
does did can
could may might
must will should
would ought to used to
 

The following examples show several ways to make a sentence negative in the present tense.

  1. A helping verb used with the negative word not.
Sentence: My guests are arriving now.
Negative: My guests are not arriving now.
  1. The negative word no.
Sentence: Jennie has money.
Negative: Jennie has no money.
  1. The contraction n’t.
Sentence: Janetta does miss her mom.
Negative: Janetta doesn’t miss her mom.
  1. The negative adverb rarely.
Sentence: I always go to the gym after work.
Negative: I rarely go to the gym after work.
  1. The negative subject nobody.
Sentence: Everybody gets the day off.
Negative: Nobody gets the day off.