Negative sentences 📕

To make a sentence negative, we put not after the first helping verb.

With be, modal verbs and other helping verbs

I am not tired. (I'm not)

She is not here. (she isn't)

You cannot park here. (can't)

We have not finished. (haven't)

Without a helping verb: use do / does / did + not

✗ I not work.

✓ I don't work.

✗ She don't like it.

✓ She doesn't like it.

✗ He didn't came.

✓ He didn't come.

Only one negative word

In standard English, one negative word is enough.

✓ I don't have any money.

✓ I have no money.

✗ I don't have no money.

Short forms

In speech and informal writing, we usually use short forms: isn't, aren't, don't, doesn't, didn't, can't, won't, haven't.