Negative Sentences

After you've learned what affirmative sentences are and how they're produced, the next phase is to discover what negative sentences are. This article will teach you everything you need to learn about negative sentences, including their meaning, definition, structure, and how they differ from affirmative phrases, as well as examples to make it easier to understand.

What Exactly Is A Negative Sentence? - Meaning And Define

A negative sentence is one that states that an act is not taking place, that there is something that is no longer in existence, or that a topic lacks a specific quality. It is easily recognizable in situations by the terms 'not,' 'no,' 'nobody,' 'nothing,' 'nowhere,' 'no one,' and 'none.'

Let's look at some dictionary definitions to have a better understanding of what a negative statement is.

A negative sentence is defined as a "statement that indicates 'no'; an act of denying to perform a task or of refusing something" by the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, and a negative statement or phrase is defined as "one that consists a word such as "not", "no", "never", or "nothing" by the Cambridge Dictionary. As per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the negative sentences are the ones that "deny the predicate of a subject or a portion of the subject, showing the absent or the opposite of something, conveying negation," and a negative clause " encompasses a term such as not, never, or no-one."

How To Compose a Negative Sentence - Different Approaches and Considerations

Negative Sentences are usually structured by simply adding 'not' to the verb in the sentence. It is also the simplest way to recognize a negative sentence. However, there are various ways to generate and recognize negative statements. Examine each form of conversion listed below.

Creating Negative Sentences using 'Not'

Adding a 'not' to a verb implies that the action is not going to take place. Even so, there are certain things you must be aware of.

Whenever 'to be' and 'do' verb types are utilized as main verbs, the word 'not' can be placed quickly post the verb.

As an example :

• She is not an educator .
• I do not like anything sugary .

Whenever using modal verbs like can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, need, may, might, and so on, the term 'not' must come after these verbs.

As an example:

1. I cannot assist you with your worksheets as I would be late .
2. You must not be deciding about it .
3. Jane should not have said such things to her folks .
4. Elizabeth may not find it challenging to complete this course .

Whenever the verb types of 'have' or other regular or irregular verbs occur as primary verbs in statements, just utilize 'do' accompanied by 'not' and subsequently the verb in its true form.

As an example:

1. I'm afraid I don't have an additional pen to give you .
2. He does not recall much about the change in the general admission budget .
3. They did not take part in the physics quiz contest .

The variants of the 'do' verb modify based on the tense of the sentence. When a statement in the simple present tense needs to be transformed into a negative, the verb types 'do' and 'does' are utilized with respect to the noun or the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-person pronoun acting as the subject of the sentence.

To turn a simple past tense statement into a negative sentence, utilize 'did' and 'not' (regardless of the subject) accompanied by the primary verb in its true form.

As an example:

1. They do not go driving every night. (This comprises Simple present tense - Third person plural pronoun as subject )
2. Sheena does not have tea from the cafe anymore. (This comprises simple present tense - Third person singular pronoun as subject )
3. Ishmeet denied performing with kids for the annual day celebration. (This comprises simple past tense sentences )

All other tenses will contain one or more supporting verbs and a primary verb. The term 'not' is placed post the 1st helping verb, accompanied by the primary verb, or after the secondary helping verb and the primary verb in these circumstances. In addition, be certain that the conjugated version of the primary verb (present participle/past participle) is not changed.

As an example;

1. Elizabeth isn't eating anything, though we've been trying to convince her to do so for more than a half-day. (Present Continuous Tense )
2. She has not terminated the contract yet. (In the Present Perfect Tense )
3. They have not been keeping track of their participation regularly. (Present Perfect Continuous Tense )
4. It was not snowing when we left. (Past Continuous Tense )
5. The instructor had not informed him what to do for the tests. (Past Perfect Tense )
6. The nurse discovered that the client had not been taking his medications as prescribed. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense )
7. Anuj will not have all the items necessary to finish your test. (Simple Future Tense )
8. Raju, Rajesh, and Rathi will not be contesting in the intra-state contest. (Future Continuous Tense )
9. The monorail will not have showed up when you reach the depot. (Future Perfect Tense )
10. The kids will not have been performing the jobs effectively. (Future Perfect Continuous Tense )

Making Use of Contractions

We've already studied how adding 'not' to a verb creates a negative sentence. Furthermore, you should be aware that several verbs, such as (is, was, have, etc.), have contracted variants that can be used rather of 'verb + not'. Examine the examples in the below table to see how contractions are utilized.

Constructing Negative Sentences

Employing the words' nothing,' 'nobody,' 'none,' and 'nowhere'

Negative sentences may also be formed with terms like 'no,' 'nothing,' 'nowhere,' 'none,' 'nobody,' and 'no one.' Using 'not' with the verb accompanied by words like 'any,' 'anything,' 'anywhere,' 'anyone,' and 'anybody' can also work. Take a glance at the samples below to learn how this works.

Example 1

The entire audience had assembled in the theatre. (Affirmative sentence )

No one had assembled in the theatre. (Negative sentence )

Example 2

They had polled everyone on their thoughts on the freshly adopted regulations . (Affirmative sentence )

They had polled nobody for their thought on the freshly adopted regulations . (Negative sentence )

(or)

They had not inquired anybody for their viewpoint on the freshly adopted regulations . (Negative sentence )

Example 3

All were available for the hoisting of the Country's Flag . (Affirmative sentence )

None of us were available for the hoisting of the Country's Flag . (Negative sentence )

Example 4

Everything was coming together . (Affirmative sentence )

Nothing was coming together . (Negative sentence )

Example 5

We could guess the new movie soundtrack performing everywhere . (Affirmative sentence )

We could guess the new movie soundtrack performing nowhere . (Another negative sentence )

(or)

We could not guess the new movie soundtrack performing anywhere . (Negative sentence )

Interrogative Sentences That Are Negative

To make negative interrogative sentences, add 'not' after the subject or an abbreviation of the verb at the commencement of the interrogative sentence. Here are some samples to help you begin.

Example 1

Have you not reviewed 'The Annual Magazine' ?

Haven't you reviewed 'The Annual Magazine'? (Interrogative negative )

Example 2

Does she not know English ?

Doesn't she know English anymore? (Interrogative negative )

Example 3

Did you not miss the notification that was put up on the entry gate ?

Didn't you miss the notification that was put up on the entry gate? (Interrogative negative )

Example 4

Should not she be at the annual meeting right now ?

Shouldn't she be at the annual meeting right now? (Interrogative negative )

Example 5

1. Was Helen not the one who requested study leave ?
2. Wasn't it Helen who requested study leave? (Interrogative negative )

Double Negatives

Have you heard of double negatives? Do you know what they are? A double negative occurs when two negative terms are used in the same sentence. The usage of double negatives changes the purpose of the sentence from negative to positive. The following are a few instances of double negatives. Examine them and try to decipher the meaning they convey.

Here are few examples

1. Pritam was not a careless young man. (Pritam was a decent young man. )
2. This will be not surprising. (This will be surprising. )
3. I presume we have not seen the film yet. (I presume we have seen the film yet )