Practice
Negative forms in English sentences
Sign in to saveA friend asks if you work on Saturdays. You can answer, No, I do not work on Saturdays. A negative form tells the listener that something is not true, does not happen, or is not possible.
Make clear negative sentences with do, be, have, can, and the past simple.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
She doesn't work on Fridays. /ʃiː ˈdʌzənt wɜːks ɒn ˈfraɪdeɪz/
The short answer
Use not with a helping verb: do not work, is not late, cannot come, and did not call. After do not, does not, and did not, use the base form of the main verb.
They do not watch television in the morning.
Why it works: Do not comes before the base verb watch.
5 more examples
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I do not drink coffee after lunch.
Use do not before the base verb drink for a present simple negative.
Not this:I
drinkcoffee after lunch. What changes: This positive sentence says the action happens. -
Maya is not ready for the call.
With be, put not after is.
Not this:Maya
is readyfor the call. What changes: This sentence gives the opposite meaning. -
We do not live near the station.
Live stays in the base form after do not.
Not this:We
livenear the station. What changes: This positive form says where the speakers live. -
There are not any seats by the window.
Use are not with plural seats. Any is common after a negative form.
Not this:There
are someseats by the window. What changes: Some seats are available in the positive sentence. -
Omar cannot swim yet.
Cannot is one word before the base verb swim.
Not this:Omar
can swimnow. What changes: This sentence says Omar has the ability.
Read the full guide
First, find the verb in the positive sentence. If the verb is be, add not after it. If the sentence has an ordinary present simple verb, use do not or does not. For a past simple action, use did not and return the main verb to its base form.
Add do not to most present simple verbs
Use do not with I, you, we, and they. Use does not with he, she, and it. Put the main verb after the negative form in its base form.
They do not need a taxi.
Need stays in the base form after do not.
Choose the correct form: She does not likes tea or She does not like tea?
Use She does not like tea. Does already shows the third-person form, so like stays in the base form.
Put not after be
When be is the main verb, do not use do. Put not after am, is, or are. This pattern often describes a place, feeling, condition, or identity.
The keys are not on the table.
Are not tells us where the keys are not. Do not write The keys do not be on the table.
I am not tired tonight.
Use negative forms with there is and have
Use there is not or there are not to say that something is absent. Use have with do not or does not for possession in many everyday sentences.
There is not a bus after midnight.
Is not follows there because the noun bus is singular.
My cousin does not have a driver's license.
Does not comes before have, not has.
Use cannot and did not
Use cannot when someone does not have an ability or permission. For a past simple negative, use did not before the base verb for every subject.
We cannot park here.
Cannot is written as one word in standard English.
Nina did not finish the report yesterday.
Finish is the base form after did not, even though the action concerns yesterday.
Check for common negative-form errors
Do not use a past verb after did not. Do not add do before be. In standard English, avoid two negative words when one negative form already gives the meaning you need.
He did not go to the store.
Did not went is incorrect because went is already a past form.
Which sentence is correct: They are not hungry or They do not are hungry?
Use They are not hungry because not follows the verb are.
Before you go
Remember this
Put not with the right helping verb. Use do not or does not for most present simple verbs, be not for states and descriptions, cannot for ability, and did not plus a base verb for past actions.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Negative forms in English sentences"
When do I use do not and does not?
Use do not with I, you, we, and they. Use does not with he, she, and it. The main verb stays in the base form: They do not need help and She does not need help.
I do not drink coffee after lunch.
Can I use do not with be?
No. Put not after am, is, or are: I am not late, the room is not quiet, and we are not ready. Do not use do before be in these sentences.
I drink coffee after lunch.
Is cannot one word?
Yes. Write cannot as one word in standard English. Can't is its common contraction. Both come before a base verb, as in I cannot stay or I can't stay.
Maya is not ready for the call.
Why does the verb change after did not?
Did already marks the past, so the next verb returns to its base form. Say She did not visit us, not She did not visited us.
Maya is ready for the call.
Should I use any in negative sentences?
Any is common after a negative form when you mean zero of something. For example, We do not have any milk means that there is no milk available.
We do not live near the station.