Practice
Positive sentences: examples and rules
Mina works from home on Fridays. The sentence gives information. It does not ask a question or say that something does not happen. That is a positive sentence.
Write and recognize positive sentences with be and ordinary verbs, including the -s form after he, she, or it in the simple present.
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
positive sentence /ˈpɑːzətɪv ˈsentəns/
The short answer
Use a positive sentence to make a statement. Put the subject before the verb. With be, choose am, is, or are. With an ordinary verb in the simple present, add -s or -es after he, she, or it when the spelling requires it.
The museum opens at ten.
Why it works: The subject is the museum. Opens is the simple-present form used with it.
5 more examples
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I am ready for the meeting.
Am is the positive form of be used with I.
Not this:
Am Iready for the meeting? What changes: The same words become a question when the verb comes before the subject. -
The lights are on in the hallway.
Are agrees with the plural subject lights and states the present situation.
Not this:The lights
are noton in the hallway. What changes: Not changes the statement into a negative sentence. -
My brother cooks dinner on Sundays.
Cooks has -s because my brother is one person and the sentence is in the simple present.
Not this:My brothers
cookdinner on Sundays. What changes: The plural subject brothers takes the base form cook. -
We take the bus after class.
Take is the base form used with we in a positive simple-present sentence.
Not this:
Do wetake the bus after class? What changes: Do moves before the subject to form this simple-present question. -
The team practiced in the rain yesterday.
Practiced is a past-tense verb. The sentence still has positive statement order.
Not this:The team
did not practicein the rain yesterday. What changes: Did not makes the past statement negative, and the main verb returns to the base form practice.
Read the full guide
First, find the subject. Then choose the verb form that matches it. A positive statement normally uses ordinary subject-and-verb order, so you do not need question order or a negative word such as not.
State an idea
Use a positive sentence when you want to state information. The information can be good, bad, ordinary, or surprising. Positive is a grammar label, so it does not describe the emotion in the sentence.
The elevator is out of service.
This is a positive statement because it gives information. It is not a cheerful message.
Is The elevator is out of service a statement, a question, or a negative sentence?
It is a positive statement. It has a subject followed by a form of be and does not use question order or not.
Choose the right form of be
Be changes with the subject. Use am after I. Use is after a singular subject such as the book, my friend, he, she, or it. Use are after you, we, they, and plural nouns.
They are early for the appointment.
They is early is not standard because they takes are.
Complete the sentence: My phone ___ on the table.
Use is: My phone is on the table. Phone is a singular noun.
Use ordinary verbs in the simple present
With ordinary verbs, use the base form after I, you, we, and they. After he, she, it, or one singular noun, add -s or -es when the verb spelling needs it. This pattern often describes routines and facts.
Our neighbors walk their dog every morning.
Our neighbor walks her dog every morning. One neighbor needs walks.
Complete the sentence: Luis ___ the train at eight.
Use catches: Luis catches the train at eight. Luis is one person.
Keep statement order
A standard positive statement puts the subject before the verb. Questions often reverse be and the subject, or add do or does before the subject. Negative sentences add not or do not, does not, or did not.
Rosa knows the answer.
Does Rosa know the answer? This is a question, so does comes before Rosa and know returns to the base form.
Put the words in statement order: every day / reads / Omar / the news.
Omar reads the news every day. Omar comes first, followed by reads.
Change the time, keep the statement
Positive statements can use past, present, or future verb forms. Do not decide the sentence type only by looking for a present-tense verb. Look for a statement that does not use negative wording or question order.
We will meet at the library tomorrow.
Will we meet at the library tomorrow? Moving will before we makes a question.
Which sentence is a positive statement: Did they leave early? or They left early.
They left early is the positive statement. It gives information in subject-and-verb order.
Before you go
Remember this
A positive sentence makes a statement. Start with the subject, then use the verb form that matches the subject and time. Check be forms carefully, and remember the simple-present -s or -es after he, she, it, or one singular noun.
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 "Positive sentences: examples and rules"
Does positive mean that the sentence is cheerful?
No. Positive is a grammar term here. A sentence such as The flight is delayed is a positive statement because it gives information in statement order, even though the information may be unwelcome.
I am ready for the meeting.
What is another name for a positive sentence?
Grammar books often call a positive sentence an affirmative sentence. Both names refer to a sentence that states something instead of asking a question or making the statement negative.
Am I ready for the meeting?
Why does a verb have -s after he or she?
In the simple present, an ordinary verb usually takes -s or -es after he, she, it, or one singular noun. Compare She drives to They drive. The subject decides which form you need.
The lights are on in the hallway.
Can a past-tense sentence be positive?
Yes. A positive sentence can describe any time. They arrived yesterday is positive because it states a past event. The tense changes the verb, but the sentence still makes a statement.
The lights are not on in the hallway.
Do positive sentences always omit do or does?
Ordinary positive simple-present statements usually use the main verb without do or does: He works nearby. Speakers can use do for emphasis, as in He does work nearby, so meaning and context still matter.
My brother cooks dinner on Sundays.