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ANGLO-PEDIA

Anglo-File 109: NEGATIVES

Part 1: Negative Verbs

To make a positive verb into a negative verb, we use not (written English) and nt (spoken
English).
A) Verb to be in the present and past tenses and all modal verbs (can, should, would
etc.) take direct negative:
Im not tired.
(Notice that amnt does not exist.)
It wasnt the best.
There arent any letters for you.
(Notice that some changes to any in a
negative sentence.)
I wouldnt buy any tea.
Bob cant swim.
We shouldnt go.

Im tired.
It was the best.
There are some letters for you.
I would buy some tea.
Bob can swim.
We should go.

B) For all other verbs, the negation is added to the tense auxiliary verb (am, is, are, was,
were, have, has, had, will)
Im not looking for a job.
He isnt going to fall.
They arent leaving tomorrow.
She wasnt sleeping when I knocked.
We werent having dinner when you called.
She hasnt finished yet.
(Notice that already changes to yet in a
negative sentence.)
She hadnt had a telephone call before she left.
The birds wont come back.
(Notice that willnt has changed to wont.)

Im looking for a job.

Hes going to fall.
Theyre leaving tomorrow.
She was sleeping when I knocked.
We were having dinner when you called.
She has already finished.
She had had a telephone call before she left.
The birds will come back.

Be careful with Present & Past Simple tenses, where you cannot see the tense auxiliary verb in
the positive sentence. You need to insert the auxiliary (plus the negative) into the sentence:
We dont have a meeting.
He doesnt go to work by car.
They didnt have to pay a fine.

We have a meeting.
He goes to work by car.
They had to pay a fine.

Part 2: Negative Words

You can also make a sentence negative by using a negative word or expression (none,
never, nowhere, very little etc.). In this case, the verb stays positive:
Compare the two ways of making a sentence negative:
I have some questions.
Negative verb: I dont have any questions.
Negative word: I have no questions.
She took many photographs.
Negative verb: She didnt take many photographs.
Negative word: She took very few photographs.
Ive heard of this book.
Negative verb: I havent ever heard of this book.
Negative word: I have never heard of this book.
You can use a negative verb in almost any sentence. However, there are a few exceptions,
where you can only use a negative word:
Someone spoke.
You cant say: Anyone didnt speak.
You must say: No one spoke.
Both of them attended the meeting.
You cant say: Both of them didnt attend the meeting.
You must say: Neither of them attended the meeting.
Notice that with the word all, you have two possibilities, but the meaning is different:
I saw all of them.
If you say: I didnt see all of them. It means: I saw only some of them.
If you say: I saw none of them. It means: I didnt see any of them.

ANGLO-PEDIA

Anglo-File 109: NEGATIVES

EXERCISES
Part 1: Negative Verbs (Tracks 1-26)
Answer the following questions by using a negative verb.
Example:
Have you written many pages?

No, I havent written many pages.

1. Do you have any questions?

No,

2. Do they still live in Italy?

No,

3. Does he have much time?

No,

4. Did you say anything?

No,

5. Do you have any Dutch magazines?

No,

6. Have you had anything to eat?

No,

7. Has the bus arrived?

No,

8. Are they still repairing the bridge?

No,

9. Is there anywhere where we can buy fresh fish?

No,

10. Has she ever met her father?

No,

11. Would you like some tomato ketchup?

No,

12. Is there much traffic on this road?

No,

13. Do you have any apples left?

No,

14. Did they know anything about it?

No,

15.Have you gathered much information so far?

No,

16. Are there many mountains in your region?

No,

17. Did they all follow the training?

No,

18. Have you ever heard of this author?

No,

19. Do you still play tennis every week?

No,

20. Is there anything left to eat?

No,

21. Was there anywhere to get your car repaired?

No,

22. Does your daughter have many hobbies?

No,

23. Were they all there?

No,

24. Did you speak to anyone?

No,

25. Will you be coming to the party?

No,

Anglo-File 109: NEGATIVES / Answer Key

Part 1: Negative Verbs
1. No, I dont have any questions.
2. No, They dont live in Italy any more.
3. No, he doesnt have much time.
4. No, I didnt say anything.
5. No, we dont have any Dutch magazines.
6. No, I havent had anything to eat.
7. No, the bus hasnt arrived.
8. No, they are not repairing the bridge any more.
9. No, there isnt anywhere where we can buy fresh fish.
10. No, she hasnt ever met her father.
11. No, I wouldnt like any tomato ketchup.
12. No, there isnt much traffic on this road.
13. No, we dont have any apples left.
14. No, they didnt know anything about it.
15. No, I havent gathered much information so far.
16. No, there arent many mountains in my region.
17. No, they didnt all follow the training.
18. No, I havent ever heard of this author.
19. No, I dont play tennis every week any more.
20. No, there isnt anything left to eat.
21. No, there wasnt anywhere to get our car repaired.
22. No, she doesnt have many hobbies.
23. No, they werent all there.
24. No, I didnt speak to anyone.
25. No, I wont be coming to the party.

ANGLO-PEDIA

Anglo-File 109: NEGATIVES

EXERCISES
Part 2: Negative Words (Tracks 27-58)
Answer these questions in the negative, using one of the following negative words:
no, nothing, no-one, nobody, nowhere, neither, none, very little, very few, not yet, no
longer, never.
Example:
Have you written many pages?

No, I have written very few pages.

1. Do you have any questions?

No,

2. Do they still live in Italy?

No,

3. Does he have much time?

No,

4. Did you say anything?

No,

5. Do you have any German magazines?

No,

6. Have you had anything to eat?

No,

7. Has the bus already arrived?

No,

8. Are they still repairing the bridge?

No,

9. Is there anywhere where we can buy fresh fish?

No,

10. Has she ever met her father?

No,

11. Is there any tomato ketchup?

No,

12. Is there much traffic on this road?

No,

13. Do you have any apples left?

No,

14. Did they know anything about it?

No,

15. Have you gathered much information so far?

No,

16. Are there many mountains in your region?

No,

17. Did any of them have any training?

No,

18. Have you ever heard of this author?

No,

19. Do you still play tennis every week?

No,

20. Is there anything left to eat?

No,

21. Was there anywhere to get your car repaired?

No,

22. Does your daughter have many hobbies?

No,

23. Are all of them here?

No,

24. Was anyone injured?

No,

25. Could either of them help you?

No, ..

26. Did either of them have red hair?

No,

27. Did any of them have any training?

No,

28. Has anyone seen John today?

No,

29. Does anybody read this paper?

No,

30. Can anything stop them?

No,

Anglo-File 109: NEGATIVES / Answer Key

Part 2: Negative Words
1. No, I have no questions.
2. No, they no longer live in Italy.
3. No, he has very little time.
4. No, I said nothing.
5. No, we have no German magazines.
6. No, Ive had nothing to eat.
7. No, the bus hasnt arrived yet.
8. No, they are no longer repairing the bridge.
9. No, there is nowhere where we can buy fresh fish.
10. No, she has never met her father.
11. No, theres no tomato ketchup.
12. No, there is very little traffic on this road.
13. No, we have no apples left.
14. No, they knew nothing about it.
15. No, I have gathered very little information so far.
16. No, there are very few mountains in my region.
17. No, none of them had any training.
18. No, Ive never heard of this author.
19. No, I no longer play tennis every week.
20. No, there is nothing left to eat.
21. No, there was nowhere to get our car repaired.
22. No, she has very few hobbies.
23. No, none of them are here.
24. No, no one was injured.
25. No, neither of them could help me.
26. No, neither of them had red hair.
27. No, none of them had any training.
28. No, no one has seen John today.
29. No, nobody reads this paper.
30. No, nothing can stop them.

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