Negative sentences

NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

📎Negative questions can be constructed in two ways.

🔖CONTRACTED(informal)

n't after auxiliary verb or be

Why didn't she answer? 

Hasn't Emma phoned? 

Aren't they at home? 

construction Negative 

🔖UNCONTRACTED

not after subject (more formal)

Why did she not answer? 

Has Emma not phoned? 

Are they not at home?

📎We say aren't l? Not amn't I

📎checking negative ideas :

🔖We often use negative questions tomorrow check that something has not happened, is not true, etc. 

The meaning is like 'Is it true that ... not ... ?

Hasn't Mary phoned? I wonder if she forgotten. ( = 'Is it true that Mary hasn t phoned?') 

Can't you come this evening? 

🔖These questions can also express surprise that something has not happened, is not happening, etc. 

Haven't the tickets come yet? Didn't he tell you he was married? 

🔖The structure is often used in rhetorical questions - questions which dont ask for an answer 

Can't you read? It says 'closed', 

Don't you ever listen to what I say?

📎Negative questions can also check that something is true. 

Didn't you see Peter yesterday? How is he? (='I believe you saw Peter ...')

📎Negative questions are also common in exclamations 

Isn't it hot! 

Doesn't the garden look nice! 

📌Note polite invitations

 We can use Won't/Wouldn't , ..? in polite invitations. 

Won't you come in? 

Wouldn't you like something to drink? 

🔖We do not use negative questions to ask people to do things for us. 

Can you help me? 

You couldn't help me, could you? 

BUT Not ➡️Can't you help me? (This sounds like a criticism.)

📎I don't think etc 

🔖We usually use I don't think + affirmative verb, not I think + negative verb. 

The same is true with believe, suppose, imagine and similar verbs. 

I don't think you know loe. (More usual than ➡️I think you don't know Joe.)

🔖However, with hope we normally make the following verb negative. 

I hope it doesn't rain. ( Not ➡️ I don't hope it rains)

📎There is a similar use of not and other negative words with seem, expect and want before an infinitive. 

He doesn't seem to like you. (Less formal than➡️ He seems not to like you.) 

I don't expect to be back before Monday. (Less formal than➡️ I expect not ...) 

I never want to see you again. (More natural than➡️ I want never to see ...)

not ... or 

📎When not refers to two or more verbs, nouns, adjectives etc, we usually join them with or. 

He doesn't smoke or drink. (Not he doesn't smoke nor drink) 

She wasn't angry or upset. 

It's not on the table or in the cupbhoard. 

🔖However, we can use nor after a pause, to separate and emphasise a second idea. 

Our main need is not food, nor money. It is education. 

She didn't phone on Tuesday, nor on Wednesday.

📌Note that neither cannot be used in this way.

📌NOTES

not... because

Negative sentences with because-clarses can often be understood in two ways. 

I didn't sing because Pat was there. (= 'I didnt sing' or 'I sang, but for another reason) 

The confusion can be avoided by reorganising the sentence. 

Because Pat was there, I didn't sing. on I sang, but not because Pat was there. 

extra not 

In informal speech, expressions like I don't think or I don't suppose are often added after 

a negative statement. This makes no difference to the meaning of the statement. 

She hasn't got much chance of passing her driving test, I don't think. 

We won't be home before midnight, I don't suppose. 

📝Also in informal speech, a negative verb (without a negative meaning) is sometimes used after expressions of doubt or uncertainty. 

I shouldn't be surprised if they didn't get married soon (= '. .. if they got married.') 

I wonder whether I oughtn't to see the doctor. (= '. .. whether I ought .. .') 

🔖ain't The word ain't is very common in many English dialects (but is not used in modern standard English). It means 'am/are/is not' or'have/has not

We ain't ready yet. I ain't got a clue what she wants. 

🔖We use nor and neither rather than also not. Note the word order. 

The chief engineer was not in the building and nor was his assistant. 

(Not...and his assistant was also not) 

I didn't think much of the game. Neither did I

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