Negatives
1. Mr Sinha is a doctor.
2. Mr Sinha is not a doctor.
In sentence (1), ‘is’ is the main verb and the sentence is affirmative.
In sentence (2), ‘not’ is used after the verb ‘is’ to make the sentence negative.
Similarly:
Affirmative Negative
They are students. They are not students.
I am a teacher. I am not a teacher.
I have a headache. I have not a headache.
In the above sentences we turn the affirmative sentence into negative by putting ‘not’ after the main verbs ‘be’ and ‘have’
Now look at the following sentences:
(3) I am working in the garden.
(4) I am not working in the garden.
In sentence (3) ‘be’ verb ‘am” is used as an auxiliary verb and ‘working’ is the main verb. ‘Not’ is placed after the auxiliary verb to make the sentence ‘negative’.
Similarly:
Affirmative Negative
5. He was studying grammar. He was not studying grammar.
6. I have completed my work. I have not completed my work.
7. He has been working hard. He has not been working hard.
8. It is true. It is not true/it isn’t true/ It’s not true.
(or) He hasn’t answered the question.
In sentence (B), the contracted form ‘isn’t’ for is not’ and in sentence (9) , the contracted form ‘hasn’t’ for ´has not’ is used . More often ‘it is not true’ is contracted to ‘it’s not true’
Note that contracted forms:
Will not-won’t
Shall not- shan’t
Might not-mightn’t
Must not- mustn’t
Cannot – can’t
Am not – (no contracted form)
10 . He is playin in the field, isn’t he?
11. They are tired, aren’t they?
Usually (n’t) for ‘not’ is used to make question tags after positive statements.
12. I am late, aren’t I? (Not amn’t I)*
Now look at the following sentences:
Positive Negative
13. I play football. I do not/ don’t play football.
14. He played football. He did not/ didn’t play football.
15. He plays football. He does not/doesn’t play football.
In sentence (13) ‘play’ is the main verb. It has not taken any ‘auxilary verb’ before it. In order to make the sentce negative, we take the support of the auxillary ‘do’ in the present tense and ‘did’ in the past tense. Ins entice 14 auxiliary ‘did’ is used and in sentences (15) the auxiliary ‘does’ is used. Not is added to ‘do/did/does’ to make the sentences negative.
Now study the following sentences;
Positive Negative
16. He will play He will not /won’t play.
17. I can swim. I cannot /can’t swim.
18. He should stay here. He should not/shouldn’t stay here.
In sentence (1), “WILL’ is the modal auxiliary. In negative form ‘not’ is used after the modal auxiliary. Similarly the modal ‘can” in sentence (2) and the modal ‘should” in sentence (3) take ‘take’ after them to turn the affirmative sentence into negatives.
He used to play cricket in his school days. (Affirmative)
He didn’t use to play cricket in his school days. (Negative)
Now look at eh following sentence:
My father has a house in Cuttack “(Such a sentence is now less used)
Instead we say:-
My father has got a house in Cuttack. (Affiramtive)
My father hasn’t got any hose in Cuttack. (Negative)
My father does not have any house at Cuttack. (More and more often it is used now-a-dasy.)
Note: ‘got’ is less common in past tense and negatives.
EXERCISE-8
Turn the following sentences into negatives.
Use the contracted form n’t for ‘not’.
- I shall help you at the time of your need.
- We should help one another.
- He does his work sincerely.
- The boy has a good memory.
- He used to swim in his childhood days.
- He will answer my phone.
- My father can speak four languages.
- We have been waiting here for an hour.
- My father takes tea at six o’clock in the morning.
- I have got a new bicycle.
Exercise-9
Complete the sentences using a negative. The first one has been done for you.
- Sunil studies attentively but Sohon doesn’t study attentively.
- I have decided on a career, but you _______________
- Rahul loses things, but Anil _______________
- I had a good time yesterday, but Subasis _______________
- Helen can relax but Bobby _______________
- My father will attend the party, but I _______________
- I have got a job, but my friend Rosy _______________
- My elder sister has a sweet voice, but my younger sisters _______________
Negative imperative
Look at the following sentences:
Have a cup of tea.
Come here.
Be careful!
The above sentences are imperative sentences. The subject ‘you’ is usually dropped.
We don’t say ‘You come here’ or ‘You have a drink’.
Now study the following:
Imperative Negative imperative
Go with him. Don’t go with him.
Open some windows. Don’t open any windows.
Be quiet. Don’t be noisy.
We have used ‘Don’t” at the beginning of the imperative sentences to make them negative imperatives.
Let us/Le’s play football –Imperative.
Let’s not play football –Negative imperative.
Sentences beginning with “Let’ are also imperatives which are used to offer ‘suggestions’.
‘Not’ is used after ‘Let’ to make negative imperative sentences.
EXERCISE-10
Turn the following imperative sentences into negatives.
I. Let’s go home.
II. Open you book.
iii. Drive fast.
Iv. Sit down.
v. Answer the phone.
Vi. Sing that song again.
vii. Have faith in him.
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“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”
Listen a lot to whatever medium you can and Find somebody you can talk to frequently.
Learning language based on 4 keys. They are as follows.
4 key Principles:
1. Message
2. Importance.
3. Observation
4. Comprehension.
(It is all under you control)