Practice
Negative sentences: form and examples
You want to say that a store is closed, your friend does not drive, and you cannot stay late. English uses different helpers in those sentences, but each negative has one clear job: it says that something is not true or does not happen.
Make clear negative sentences with be, do, modal verbs, and common negative words, then explain why the form is correct.
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
doesn't /ˈdʌzənt/
The short answer
Put not after be, a modal verb, or an auxiliary. Use do not, does not, or did not before a base-form main verb when there is no other helper.
Maya does not work on Fridays.
Why it works: Does carries the present-tense agreement, so work stays in the base form.
5 more examples
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The office is not open today.
The verb be is already the helper, so not follows is.
Not this:The office
is opentoday. What changes: Removing not changes the sentence from a negative statement to a positive one. -
We do not need more chairs.
Do forms the negative because need is an ordinary present simple verb here.
Not this:We
needmore chairs. What changes: The positive sentence has no auxiliary do. -
Lena does not speak Italian.
Does agrees with the singular subject Lena, and speak stays in the base form.
Not this:Lena
speaksItalian. What changes: In the positive present simple, the main verb carries the s ending. -
The bus did not arrive on time.
Did marks the past, so arrive does not change to arrived.
Not this:The bus
arrivedon time. What changes: Without did, the main verb carries the past ending. -
You should not share your password.
A modal verb takes not directly, followed by a base-form verb.
Not this:You
should sharethe schedule. What changes: The modal should keeps the main verb in its base form in both sentences.
Read the full guide
Look for the helper before you add not. Am, is, are, was, and were can take not directly. Can, will, should, and other modal verbs can too. For most other present and past simple verbs, bring in do, does, or did.
Find the verb before you add not
A negative sentence needs the right helper. First, look for be, a modal verb, or an auxiliary such as have. If you find one, place not after it.
The reports are not ready.
Are is the helper, so not comes directly after it.
Where does not go in this sentence: The keys are on the table?
Put not after are: The keys are not on the table.
Use do with ordinary present simple verbs
When a present simple sentence has an ordinary verb such as live, need, or understand, use do not or does not. Use does not with he, she, it, and singular names.
My brother does not live nearby.
Does carries the agreement for my brother. Live stays in the base form.
Which form is correct: She does not walks or She does not walk?
Use She does not walk. After does not, use the base form walk.
Use did for a past simple negative
Use did not for ordinary past simple verbs with every subject. Did already shows the past, so the main verb returns to its base form.
They did not finish the project yesterday.
Finish is not finished because did carries the past meaning.
Which word follows did not: called or call?
Use call: We did not call the client.
Put not after modal verbs
Can, could, may, might, must, should, will, and would are modal verbs. They take not directly, and the next verb stays in the base form.
You must not park here.
Must not is the negative form. Park does not change.
How do you make can join negative?
Use cannot join or can't join. Do not add do before can.
Avoid double negatives in standard English
Words such as no, never, nobody, and nothing can already make a sentence negative. In standard English, use any after a negative verb when you mean zero.
I do not have any questions.
Do not already makes the sentence negative, so any fits the meaning of zero questions.
Nobody answered the phone.
Nobody makes the sentence negative without do not.
Which standard form means zero people called: Nobody called or Nobody did not call?
Use Nobody called. Nobody already gives the negative meaning.
Before you go
Remember this
Use not after be, modal verbs, and auxiliaries. With an ordinary present or past simple verb, use do, does, or did plus not and keep the main verb in its base form. Check that the sentence has one clear negative meaning.
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 sentences: form and examples"
When do I use do not or does not?
Use do not and does not with ordinary present simple verbs when there is no other helper. Use does not with he, she, it, and singular names. The main verb stays in its base form, so write She does not work, not She does not works.
The office is not open today.
Why does the main verb stay in the base form after did not?
Did already carries the past meaning in a negative sentence. The main verb therefore stays in its base form. Write They did not finish the task, not They did not finished the task. This pattern works with every subject.
The office is open today.
Can I put not directly after can or should?
Yes. Can and should are modal verbs, so not follows them directly. Use cannot or can't, and use should not or shouldn't. The verb after the modal is a base form, as in You should not wait or We cannot stay.
We do not need more chairs.
What is the difference between no and not?
Not usually works with a verb helper, as in The room is not available. No often comes before a noun, as in There is no space. Both can make a sentence negative, but they have different positions in the sentence.
We need more chairs.
Are double negatives correct in standard English?
In standard English, two negatives can make the meaning unclear or change it. If the verb uses do not, choose any for the object: I do not have any money. A form such as I do not have no money is not the usual standard choice.
Lena does not speak Italian.