How do you make a sentence negative in English?

Put not after the first auxiliary verb: She is coming becomes She is not coming, and I have finished becomes I have not finished. If there is no auxiliary, add do, does, or did and put the main verb in its bare form: She works becomes She does not work. In speech, not almost always contracts to n't: isn't, haven't, doesn't.

When do I use don't, doesn't, and didn't?

Don't, doesn't, and didn't belong to the two simple tenses, which have no auxiliary of their own to carry the not. Don't goes with I, you, we, and they (We don't know), doesn't with he, she, and it (She doesn't know), and didn't with every subject in the past (They didn't know). The main verb after them is always the bare form: doesn't know, never doesn't knows.

Why is I don't know nothing wrong?

Because it contains two negatives, don't and nothing, and standard English allows only one per clause. The corrected versions are I don't know anything (not plus any) and I know nothing (a negative word with an affirmative verb). Double negatives are common in some dialects and in song lyrics, but they are marked as errors in exams and formal writing.

What is the difference between mustn't and don't have to?

Mustn't means it is forbidden: You mustn't park here means parking is not allowed. Don't have to means it is not necessary: You don't have to park here means you can park somewhere else if you like. The two are not negatives of each other, even though must and have to mean almost the same thing in the affirmative.

How do I answer a negative question like Don't you like it?

Answer the facts, not the grammar of the question. If you like it, say Yes, I do; if you don't, say No, I don't, exactly as you would for Do you like it? Learners from many languages answer Yes to mean you are right, I don't like it, which in English sounds like the opposite, so keep the yes for a positive fact.

English grammar · Beginner

Negative Sentences in English: Not, Do/Does/Did, and Negative Words

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

A negative sentence says that something is not the case. English builds it by putting not after an auxiliary verb (is not, have not, cannot), and when the sentence has no auxiliary it borrows do, does, or did to hold the not (I do not know, she did not call). Words like never, nobody, and nothing carry a negative on their own, and standard English allows only one negative per clause.

She doesn't like coffee.

does plus not carries the negative; like goes back to its bare form

What it is

English has one word for making a verb negative, not, and one rule about where it goes: after the first auxiliary verb. Is becomes is not, have seen becomes have not seen, will go becomes will not go. The complication is that the present simple and past simple have no auxiliary, so English supplies one, do, purely to carry the not. That is why I don't know exists while I know not does not, at least in modern English. Alongside not, a small set of words (never, nobody, nothing, nowhere, no) are negative by themselves and need no not.

She is working. She is not working. (Not after is.) She works. She does not work. (No auxiliary, so does is added and works becomes work.)

How to spot it

A negative sentence has not (or n't) after an auxiliary or after be, or one of the negative words never, no, nobody, nothing, none, nowhere, neither. If you see a main verb with not directly after it (I know not, she came not), the sentence is either old-fashioned or wrong.

They aren't here yet. (be as main verb: not after are)
I haven't seen that film. (not after the auxiliary have)
We didn't go out last night. (did added for the past simple; go stays bare)
Nobody called. (negative word as subject, no not)

Be is the only main verb that takes not directly (She isn't tired). Have as a main verb needs do in modern English: I don't have a car, not I haven't a car.

Negative Sentences Quick Reference

Making a statement negative

Statement	Negative (full form)	Contraction
She is a nurse.	She is not a nurse.	She isn't a nurse. / She's not a nurse.
They were late.	They were not late.	They weren't late.
He works here.	He does not work here.	He doesn't work here.
I like tea.	I do not like tea.	I don't like tea.
We saw them.	We did not see them.	We didn't see them.
She has left.	She has not left.	She hasn't left.
I can swim.	I cannot swim.	I can't swim.
It will rain.	It will not rain.	It won't rain.

Common Negative Sentences Examples in English

Negatives grouped by what they deny, from simple facts to things that cannot or will not happen:

Saying What Is Not True

I'm not from here.: be as main verb: not after am
He doesn't drink coffee.: does not; drink is bare
The shop isn't open on Sundays.: be plus not for a permanent fact
We didn't have enough chairs.: have as a main verb takes did plus not

The main verb never changes for the negative: does not eat, not does not eats; did not have, not did not had.

Saying What Has Not Happened

I haven't finished yet.: present perfect: not after have; yet at the end
She isn't coming to the party.: present continuous: not after is
They hadn't heard the news.: past perfect: not after had
It wasn't raining when we left.: past continuous: not after was

In every tense with its own auxiliary, the negative is simply auxiliary plus not; do is never added.

Saying What Cannot or Will Not Happen

You mustn't touch that.: must not: a prohibition
I can't hear you.: cannot: inability
She won't be back until Monday.: will not: a negative prediction
You don't have to pay now.: no obligation, which is different from mustn't

Mustn't forbids; don't have to says something is not necessary. You mustn't tell her is an order; you don't have to tell her is a choice.

Negatives Without Not

Nobody knows the answer.: nobody is the negative; the verb stays affirmative
I've never been to Canada.: never replaces not plus ever
There's nothing in the fridge.: nothing equals not anything
We have no milk left.: no plus noun equals not any

Each of these already contains the negative, so adding not would make a double negative.

How Negative Sentences Work

Five rules that build every negative in English, in the order you need them.

Not Goes After the First Auxiliary

Find the first auxiliary verb (be, have, will, can, should, and the rest) and put not straight after it. If the sentence has more than one auxiliary, only the first takes not: they have not been waiting, not they have been not waiting.

They have been waiting. They have not been waiting.

only the first auxiliary takes not

Not after the first auxiliary.

No Auxiliary? Borrow Do

The present simple and the past simple have no auxiliary, so English adds do, does, or did to carry not. Do also takes over the tense and person marking, so the main verb loses its -s or -ed and stands in the bare form: she likes becomes she does not like, he went becomes he did not go.

She likes jazz. She doesn't like jazz. He went home. He didn't go home.

does and did take the marking; like and go go bare

Do carries the tense, the verb goes bare.

Be Needs No Help

Be is the one main verb that takes not directly, with no do: I am not, you are not, she is not, we were not. This is true whether be is the main verb (She is not a doctor) or an auxiliary (She is not working). It is the same rule that lets be form questions without do.

He isn't at home. They weren't ready.

be plus not, no do anywhere

Be takes not by itself.

Contractions Are Normal in Speech

Not shortens to n't and attaches to the auxiliary: isn't, don't, didn't, haven't, can't, won't (from will not), shan't (from shall not). With be there are two options, she isn't and she's not, both correct. Am not has no n't form in statements, so you say I'm not; the question form is aren't I.

I'm not sure. Aren't I invited?

I'm not in the statement, aren't I in the question

Full forms for emphasis and formal writing, n't everywhere else.

One Negative Per Clause

Standard English counts negatives, and a clause gets exactly one. Once you have not, the other words in the clause switch to their neutral forms: any instead of some, anyone instead of someone, ever instead of never. If you prefer a negative word (nobody, nothing, never), the verb stays affirmative. Two negatives in one clause (I didn't see nobody) is a double negative and is treated as an error.

I didn't see anyone. / I saw no one.

two correct versions, one negative each

Count the negatives: one.

Common Mistakes with Negative Sentences

Incorrect: I don't know nothing about it.

Correct: I don't know anything about it.

Don't and nothing are both negative, and standard English allows one per clause. Keep not and switch to anything, or drop not and keep nothing: I know nothing about it.

Incorrect: She not like tomatoes.

Correct: She doesn't like tomatoes.

The present simple has no auxiliary to carry not, so English adds does. Leaving it out is the most common negative error, especially from speakers whose language puts a negative word straight in front of the verb.

Incorrect: He didn't went to school yesterday.

Correct: He didn't go to school yesterday.

Did already shows the past tense, so the main verb goes back to its bare form. The tense is marked once, on the auxiliary, never twice.

Incorrect: I haven't a car.

Correct: I don't have a car.

In modern English have as a main verb needs do for its negative, like any other main verb. I haven't a car survives only in very formal or old-fashioned British usage; the everyday British alternative is I haven't got a car.

Negatives Across Tenses

The same rule applied to each tense with the verb work. Do appears only in the two simple tenses; everywhere else the tense already has an auxiliary to take not.

Negative forms by tense

The full form is standard in writing; the contraction is what you hear in speech.

Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative	Contraction
present simple	She works.	She does not work.	She doesn't work.
present continuous	She is working.	She is not working.	She isn't working.
past simple	She worked.	She did not work.	She didn't work.
past continuous	She was working.	She was not working.	She wasn't working.
present perfect	She has worked.	She has not worked.	She hasn't worked.
past perfect	She had worked.	She had not worked.	She hadn't worked.
future with will	She will work.	She will not work.	She won't work.
modal	She can work.	She cannot work.	She can't work.

With I and you in the present simple the auxiliary is do: I do not work, I don't work. Cannot is written as one word; every other full form is two.

The verb be

Be takes not directly, in both the present and the past.

Pronoun	Present negative	Past negative	Contractions
I	I am not	I was not	I'm not / I wasn't
you	you are not	you were not	you aren't / you weren't
he / she / it	he is not	he was not	he isn't / he wasn't
we	we are not	we were not	we aren't / we weren't
they	they are not	they were not	they aren't / they weren't

Am not has no contraction of its own in statements: I'm not is the only option. You're not, she's not, and they're not are equally common alternatives to aren't and isn't.

Negative Words, Any, and Negative Questions

Three places where the negative behaves differently from a plain not.

Never, nobody, nothing, nowhere, no

These words are negative on their own, so the verb stays affirmative. Never goes before the main verb, or after an auxiliary; the others take the place of a noun or go in front of one.

He never apologises.: never before the main verb, no do
Nothing happened.: negative subject, affirmative verb
There's no reason to worry.: no plus noun

Never with do (He doesn't never) or nobody with not (Nobody didn't come) creates a double negative, which standard English rejects.

Some becomes any after a negative

Some belongs in affirmative sentences. After not, any takes its place, along with anyone, anything, anywhere, and ever.

I have some money. / I don't have any money.: some in the affirmative, any in the negative
There's nothing here. / There isn't anything here.: equal alternatives: a negative word, or not plus any
She didn't tell anyone.: not plus anyone; not plus no one would double the negative

Any also appears in questions (Have you got any change?) and after if. Some survives in offers and requests: Would you like some tea?

Negative questions

Put the contracted negative auxiliary in front of the subject. A negative question expresses surprise, checks something you believed was true, or invites agreement.

Don't you like it?: surprise: I expected you to like it
Isn't she a doctor?: checking something you believe is true
Why didn't you call?: a complaint or a reproach

Answer according to the facts, not the question: Don't you like it? Yes, I do (I like it). No, I don't (I don't like it).

Quick Check: Negative Sentences

Make each sentence negative, or choose the right word for the gap.

1. They ___ (not / live) here any more.

Answer: don't live

present simple borrows do

2. I ___ (not / see) her since March.

Answer: haven't seen

present perfect: not after have

3. We ___ (not / be) at home last night.

Answer: weren't

be takes not directly, no did

4. She ___ come tomorrow. (can, negative)

Answer: can't / cannot

a modal takes not directly

5. Nobody ___ (know) the answer.

Answer: knows

nobody is the negative; the verb stays affirmative and singular

6. There isn't ___ (some / any) milk left.

Answer: any

any after a negative

Negative Sentences FAQs

How do you make a sentence negative in English?: Put not after the first auxiliary verb: She is coming becomes She is not coming, and I have finished becomes I have not finished. If there is no auxiliary, add do, does, or did and put the main verb in its bare form: She works becomes She does not work. In speech, not almost always contracts to n't: isn't, haven't, doesn't.
When do I use don't, doesn't, and didn't?: Don't, doesn't, and didn't belong to the two simple tenses, which have no auxiliary of their own to carry the not. Don't goes with I, you, we, and they (We don't know), doesn't with he, she, and it (She doesn't know), and didn't with every subject in the past (They didn't know). The main verb after them is always the bare form: doesn't know, never doesn't knows.
Why is I don't know nothing wrong?: Because it contains two negatives, don't and nothing, and standard English allows only one per clause. The corrected versions are I don't know anything (not plus any) and I know nothing (a negative word with an affirmative verb). Double negatives are common in some dialects and in song lyrics, but they are marked as errors in exams and formal writing.
What is the difference between mustn't and don't have to?: Mustn't means it is forbidden: You mustn't park here means parking is not allowed. Don't have to means it is not necessary: You don't have to park here means you can park somewhere else if you like. The two are not negatives of each other, even though must and have to mean almost the same thing in the affirmative.
How do I answer a negative question like Don't you like it?: Answer the facts, not the grammar of the question. If you like it, say Yes, I do; if you don't, say No, I don't, exactly as you would for Do you like it? Learners from many languages answer Yes to mean you are right, I don't like it, which in English sounds like the opposite, so keep the yes for a positive fact.