Negative Sentences (Grade 10 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Negative Sentences
What are negative sentences?
A negative sentence is a sentence that says the opposite of a positive statement. When you want to show that something is not true or did not happen, you use a negative sentence.
Understanding Negative vs Positive Sentences
Compare these two sentences to see how negatives change meaning:
- Positive: "I like chocolate."
- Negative: "I do not like chocolate."
The negative sentence changes the meaning completely, showing that the opposite is true.
How to form negative sentences
Forming negative sentences in English follows a clear pattern. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Step-by-Step Guide: Forming Negative Sentences
Step 1: Add a helping verb You need to use an auxiliary verb (also called a helping verb). The three main auxiliary verbs are:
- 'do'
- 'be'
- 'have'
Which one you choose depends on the main verb in your sentence and what tense you are using.
Step 2: Add the word 'not' Place the word 'not' immediately after the auxiliary verb. This is what makes the sentence negative.
Step 3: Keep the same tense Make sure your negative sentence stays in the same time frame as the original positive sentence. If the positive sentence is in the present tense, the negative must also be in the present tense.
Step 4: Change the main verb to its base form When you add the auxiliary verb, the main verb usually needs to return to its simplest form (the base form).
Let's see this process in action:
- Positive: She understands the topic.
- Negative: She does not understand the topic.
Notice how 'understands' (with an -s) becomes 'understand' (base form) when we add 'does not'.
Rules for forming negative sentences
Using auxiliary verbs in different tenses
The auxiliary verbs 'do', 'be', and 'have' are your tools for creating negative sentences. Understanding which one to use depends on the tense of your sentence.
For present simple and past simple tenses:
- Use 'do' or 'does' for present tense sentences
- use 'did' for past tense sentences
The verb 'do' changes depending on whether your sentence is in the present or past:
- Present: "I/you/we/they do not" or "he/she/it does not"
- Past: "I/you/he/she/it/we/they did not"
Example: Using 'does not' in present tense
- Positive: He belongs to the team.
- Negative: He does not belong to the team.
In this example, 'does' is the present tense form of 'do' used with the third-person singular subject 'he'.
Changing verb forms in negatives
When you use 'do', 'does', or 'did' to form a negative sentence, the main verb always stays in its base form. This is a crucial rule to remember.
Critical Rule: Base Form Verbs
The base form is the simplest form of the verb without any endings like -s, -ed, or -ing.
Example:
- Positive: She became a leader. (past tense)
- Negative: She did not become a leader. (base form)
Notice that 'became' changes back to 'become' because 'did' already shows it's in the past tense.
For continuous and perfect tenses: These tenses already use auxiliary verbs like 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'has', or 'have'. In these cases, you simply add 'not' after the auxiliary verb. You do not need to change the main verb.
Examples:
- Present continuous: "She is running" → "She is not running"
- Present perfect: "They have finished" → "They have not finished"
The third-person singular rule
This is a special rule that catches many students out in exams. When you use 'does' in the present tense with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), you must drop the -s from the main verb.
Why drop the -s?
Because 'does' already shows that the subject is third-person singular, so the main verb doesn't need the -s ending anymore.
Example:
- Positive: He understands body language.
- Negative: He does not understand body language.
See how 'understands' (with -s) becomes 'understand' (without -s) when we add 'does not'.
Common Mistake: Always check that you haven't kept the -s on both the auxiliary verb and the main verb. This error frequently appears in exams!
Worked examples
Let's look at several examples to see how these rules work in practice. Each example shows you the positive sentence and then how to correctly convert it to a negative sentence.
Example 1: Present simple (third-person singular)
- Positive: The child belongs with her mother.
- Negative: The child does not belong with her mother.
This uses 'does not' because 'the child' is third-person singular and the sentence is in the present tense.
Example 2: Past simple
- Positive: She became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
- Negative: She did not become a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
We use 'did not' because the sentence is in the past tense. The verb 'became' returns to its base form 'become'.
Example 3: Past simple
- Positive: Words failed me.
- Negative: Words did not fail me.
Again, 'did not' is used for the past tense, and 'failed' becomes 'fail' (base form).
Example 4: Present simple (third-person singular)
- Positive: Robert understands body language very well.
- Negative: Robert does not understand body language very well.
The -s is removed from 'understands' when we add 'does not'.
Example 5: Present simple (third-person singular)
- Positive: A well-balanced diet excludes vegetables.
- Negative: A well-balanced diet does not exclude vegetables.
'Excludes' becomes 'exclude' when we add 'does not'.
Exam tips
Strategies for Success
- Always check which tense the sentence is in before forming your negative
- Remember the base form rule: the main verb loses its endings when you use do/does/did
- Watch out for third-person singular – this is where many students make mistakes
- Read your negative sentence aloud to check if it sounds natural
- Make sure 'not' comes directly after the auxiliary verb
- Don't use double negatives (like "I don't have nothing") – this is incorrect in standard English
Key Points to Remember:
- A negative sentence expresses the opposite meaning of a positive statement by using auxiliary verbs and the word 'not'.
- The three main auxiliary verbs for forming negatives are 'do', 'be', and 'have', chosen based on the tense and structure of your sentence.
- When using 'do', 'does', or 'did', the main verb must always return to its base form (without -s, -ed, or other endings).
- For third-person singular subjects in the present tense, use 'does not' and remove the -s from the main verb.
- In continuous and perfect tenses, simply add 'not' after the existing auxiliary verb without changing the main verb form.