negative structures 1: basic rules

negative verb forms: auxiliary + not
We make negative verb forms by putting not after an auxiliary verb.
We have not forgotten you. It was not raining. She can’t swim.
Do
is normally used if there is no other auxiliary verb.
I like the salad, but I don’t like the soup, (NOT Hike-net the soup.)
Do
is followed by the infinitive without to.
I didn’t think, (NOT I didn’t-to think, I didn’t thinking or I didn’t thought.) Do is not used with another auxiliary verb.
You mustn’t worry, (NOT You dorit-rmtsHvorry.)
Do
is not normally used with be (even when be is not auxiliary).
The supper isn’t ready, (NOT The -supper doesn’t-be -ready.)
For negative forms of have, dare, need and used, see the entries on these verbs.
For the dialect form ain’t, see contractions.4.
For negatives without do in older English (e.g. I like him not), see older English verb forms.
For negative subjunctives (e.g. It’s important that he not be disturbed), see subjunctive.2.
imperatives: Don’t worry
Negative imperatives are made with do not / don’t + infinitive (see imperatives).
Do not expect quick results, (NOT Expect not…)
Don’t worry – I’ll look after you. (NOT Worry-net-…)
Do not
/ don’t is also used to make the negative imperative of be.
Don’t be rude.
infinitives and -ing forms: It’s important not to worry
We put not before infinitives and -ing forms. Do is not used.
It’s important not to worry, (NOT .. ,-to-don’t-worry.)
The best thing about a holiday is not working.
other parts of a clause: not his wife, not before six
We can put not with other parts of a clause, not only a verb.
Ask Jake, not his wife. Come early, but not before six.
It’s working, but not properly.
We do not usually begin a sentence with not + subject. Instead, we use a structure with it.
It was not George that came, but his brother, (NOT Not George came …) For the difference between not and no with nouns, see not and no.
other negative words: never, seldom etc
Other words besides not can make a clause negative. Compare:
He’s not at home. He’s never at home.
He’s seldom / rarely / hardly ever at home.
We do not normally use the auxiliary do with these other words. Compare: He doesn’t work.
He never works, (NOT He does never work.)
He seldom / rarely / hardly ever works.
However, do can be used for emphasis or contrast.
I never did like her.
question tags: You don’tdo you?
After negative clauses, question tags (see question tags 1: basic information-488) are not negative.
You don’t work on Sundays, do you?
You seldom work on Saturdays, do you? (not YOU seldom work on Saturdays, don’t you?)
She never smiled, did she?
The same thing happens after clauses with little and few (see a little and a few).
There’s little point in doing anything about it, is there? (NOT … isn’-t there?) He has few reasons for staying, has he?
‘non-affirmative’ words: any etc
We do not usually use some, somebody etc in negative clauses. Instead, we use the ‘non-affirmative’ words any, anybody etc. (see non-affirmative or ‘non-assertive’ words). Compare:
I’ve found some mushrooms. I haven’t found any mushrooms.