Definition: In the last lesson you learned how to use different tenses to make affirmative statements, which tell us that something is true.
Karen swims every morning before school.
I ate ten donuts yesterday.
Definition: Negative statements tell us that something is not true.
She does not like broccoli.
He did not come to school today.
Present and Past Tense Negative Statements
In negative present and past statements, you use different forms of the helping verb to do to indicate tense instead of changing the main verb. Just add do, does, or did plus not before the base of the main verb.
Present (do/does + not + base) |
Past (did + not + base) |
---|---|
My brothers do not fight much. |
My brothers did not fight at all yesterday. |
You can combine to do with not to form the contractions don't, doesn't, and didn't.
My brothers don't fight much.
Elizabeth doesn't sleep well.
My brothers didn't fight at all yesterday.
- Hint:
-
It's easy to make mistakes when forming negative statements. A common error is to change both the helping verb to do and the main verb. Always remember that you only need to change the helping verb to indicate tense.
Error Correction Present She doesn't drivesvery far for work.She doesn't drive very far for work. Past They didn't cameto the baseball game.They didn't come to the baseball game.
The Exception: Negative Present and Past Tense Statements with To Be
With the verb to be, you don't use the helping verb to do. Just use the same present and past tense forms you normally do, and add the word not.
I am not at school today.
Alyssa is not in school today.
The twins are not in school today.
Alyssa was not in school today.
The twins were not in school yesterday.
You can also use the contractions isn't, aren't, wasn't, and weren't. For the first person present, use I'm not.
Negative Statements in Tenses with Helping Verbs
In tenses with helping verbs, add the word not after the helping verb. If there are two helping verbs, place not after the first one. You can also use any of the contractions you learned earlier, plus several others you'll see in the chart below.
Present | Past | Future | |
---|---|---|---|
Simple | – | – |
Without Contraction
|
– | – |
With Contraction (won't)
|
|
Progressive |
Without Contraction
|
Without Contraction
|
Without Contraction
|
With Contraction (isn't or aren't)
|
With Contraction (wasn't or weren't)
|
With Contraction (won't)
|
|
Perfect |
Without Contraction
|
Without Contraction
|
Without Contraction
|
With Contraction (hasn't or haven't)
|
With Contraction (hadn't)
|
With Contraction (won't)
|
- Hint:
-
Negative statements in the simple future tense don't always refer to the future. Often, they mean that someone refuses to do something. Let's revisit one of the examples above.
My little brother will not eat fish.