Negative Sentences

How to form negative sentences

The basic rule: add not after the auxiliary verb. If there is no auxiliary (present simple, past simple), add do not / does not / did not before the main verb.

Negatives across all tenses

Tense	Positive	Negative	Contraction
Present simple	I work.	I do not work.	I don't work.
Present simple (3rd p.)	She works.	She does not work.	She doesn't work.
Present simple (be)	He is tired.	He is not tired.	He isn't tired.
Present continuous	They are working.	They are not working.	They aren't working.
Past simple	She called.	She did not call.	She didn't call.
Past simple (be)	It was cold.	It was not cold.	It wasn't cold.
Present perfect	I have eaten.	I have not eaten.	I haven't eaten.
Future simple	We will go.	We will not go.	We won't go.
Modal (can)	She can drive.	She cannot drive.	She can't drive.
Modal (should)	You should go.	You should not go.	You shouldn't go.

Negative words: no, nobody, nothing, nowhere, never

These words are negative in themselves. When you use them, do not add another negative word (like not) — that creates a double negative, which is incorrect in standard English.

Correct ✓	Incorrect (double negative) ✗
I know nobody here.	I don't know nobody here.
There is nothing to do.	There isn't nothing to do.
She never eats meat.	She doesn't never eat meat.
I have no money.	I don't have no money.

No vs. not

• Not comes after an auxiliary verb and negates the verb: She is not working. I do not agree.
• No comes before a noun and negates the noun itself: There is no time. She has no money. No children were harmed.

Contractions — full form vs. short form

Contractions are used in everyday speech and informal writing. In formal writing, use the full form.

Full form	Contraction	Full form	Contraction
do not	don't	does not	doesn't
did not	didn't	is not	isn't
are not	aren't	was not	wasn't
were not	weren't	have not	haven't
has not	hasn't	will not	won't
cannot	can't	should not	shouldn't