Negatives by tense
| Tense | Negative form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | don't / doesn't + infinitive | I don't like coffee. · She doesn't work here. |
| Past Simple | didn't + infinitive | He didn't come to the party. |
| Future (will) | won't + infinitive | They won't be here tomorrow. |
| To be — present | isn't / aren't | It isn't cold. · We aren't ready. |
| To be — past | wasn't / weren't | The film wasn't good. · You weren't there. |
| Present Continuous | isn't/aren't + -ing | She isn't working now. · They aren't coming. |
| Past Continuous | wasn't/weren't + -ing | I wasn't sleeping. · We weren't listening. |
No double negatives!
English uses ONE negative per sentence: ✓ "I don't know anything." ✗ "I don't know nothing." · ✓ "I've never been there." ✗ "I haven't never been there."
Modal negatives
| Positive | Negative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | can't / cannot | I can't swim. |
| could | couldn't | She couldn't open the door. |
| should | shouldn't | You shouldn't eat so much sugar. |
| must | mustn't | You mustn't smoke here. |
| would | wouldn't | He wouldn't listen to me. |
Exercises
Choose the correct negative form.
1. She ___ like horror films. (Present Simple, 3rd person)
2. We ___ go to school yesterday. (Past Simple)
3. The film ___ very good. (to be, Past Simple)
4. I ___ understand the question. (can)