Negative Structures in English

There are a number of negatives structures in English that can be used to talk about something false or contradictory. These range from basic negative sentences with a single subject to more complicated sentences with two or more subjects. Learn the features and rules of the most common negative constructions in English. Negative Structures in English Negative verb conjugation: A negative verb is formed by adding not to a main verb, making the whole statement untrue.Negative imperative: A negative imperative sentence is used to instruct or command someone not to do something. It is formed by placing do not before the main verb in a sentence.No and not any negative sentences: No and any are two words that can make a sentence negative. Any word sentences also have a not and have negative verbs while no word sentences have positive verbs.Double negatives: Double negatives are incorrect structures in English that combine two not words in one sentence to make a positive statement.Never negative sentences: These negative sentences go beyond saying that something is untrue. They make the statement that something is not ever true by using never and a positive verb together to convey negative meaning.Neither...nor negative sentences: A neither...nor negative sentence expresses two separate but related negatives by linking two positive sta tements together with neither and nor. Negative Verb Conjugation The most common negative construction in English is the negative conjugation of a verb using the word not. Main verbs can be made negative by placing not directly after the auxiliary verb in a conjugation. The sentence structure for a negative verb conjugation is: Subject auxiliary verb not main verb object[s]. The combination of not and an auxiliary verb is often contracted in English. For example: do not dont, will not wont, and has not hasnt. Here are some examples of negative verb conjugations. She wont come to the party tomorrow.Tom has not finished the report.We arent studying Russian this semester. Negative Imperative Imperative sentences are used to instruct or command others. Use do not (or dont) before the main verb of a sentence to create a negative imperative—an instruction not to do something. No subject is required in the negative imperative form. The negative imperative sentence structure is: Do not verb object[s]. Here are some examples of negative imperative sentences. Do not begin without me.Dont waste any time.Do not touch the glass. No and Not Any Negative Sentences No negative sentences and not any negative sentences are very similar. There are a number of no words (such as nowhere, nobody, nothing, and no one) and any words (such as anyone, anybody, anything, and anywhere) that can serve the same purpose in making a sentence negative. Any words take negative verb structures and no words take positive structures. Any word sentences require a not as well, which precedes it. No and not any can be used interchangeably. The sentence structure of a no word negative sentence is: Subject auxiliary verb main verb no word object[s]. Here are some examples of no word negative sentences. They have no pets. To make this a not any negative sentence: They do not have any pets.I have nothing more to say.The boys invited no one to their party.Timothy has gone nowhere this summer.She bought nobody a present. The sentence structure of an any word negative sentence is: Subject auxiliary verb not main verb any word object[s]. Here are some examples of not any negative sentences. Mary isnt going to eat any dinner.Susan did not see anybody at work today.Peter hasnt done anything for the past three days.Im not meeting anyone tomorrow.To make this a no negative sentence: Im meeting no one tomorrow.Alex hasnt traveled anywhere outside of the United States. Double Negatives Double negatives are a common but incorrect negative structure in English. They are characterized by the use of two no words (such as not and nowhere) in one sentence. Most people that use double negatives are trying to make a no word negative sentence but mistakenly add not to it as well. Double negatives are incorrect because two negative words or phrases cancel each other out to contribute positive meaning to a phrase. Here are some examples of double negatives. He doesnt like nothing.Angela has not visited no one this month.They arent traveling nowhere for the holidays. Do not, under any circumstances, use double negatives. Instead, use either one no word on its own or one any word (with an accompanying not) to form a negative sentence. Never Sentences Never describes something that does not happen at all and therefore must be used with a positive verb to convey negative meaning. Auxiliary verbs are not needed for negative sentences in the present simple or past simple tense—the never already indicates that something is not ever done (an auxiliary conjugation). The sentence structure of a never negative sentence is: Subject auxiliary verb never verb object[s]. Here are some examples of never negative sentences. She never takes time off work.Mary has never returned my calls.Peter never walked to school when he was young. Neither...Nor Sentences Use the phrase neither ... nor when expressing two negatives together. Unlike in double negatives, neither...nor sentences use no negatives to express negative meaning. Rather, they contain two positive alternatives made untrue by neither and nor. The verb in one of these sentences applies to all objects because the speaker is making two related untrue statements that do not stand alone. The sentence structure that neither...nor negative sentences most often follow is: Subject auxiliary verb neither direct object nor direct object infinitive verb subject complement. An optional dependent clause can also be inserted immediately after nor. Neither...nor sentences are not as difficult to construct as they seem. Here are some examples of neither...nor negative sentences. I have neither the time nor have I had the desire to do my work.She has neither the time nor the money to help her friends.Alex has neither the means nor does he have the ability to find a new job.