Rock formations shaped like cliffs on Lake Superior in Munising Township, MI, USA

Activities: “How to form negative sentences in English?”

By: Erin Kuester
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our English Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Turn it negative

Let’s practice making some negative sentences! 

For each of these sentences below, try turning it into a negative sentence by adding not. And remember, you always need to use not with an auxiliary verb, so you may have to add an auxiliary verb too!

  • They're going to the party.

  • Sarah had eaten breakfast before going to work.

  • Henry is good at riding his bicycle.

  • My parents need a new television.

  • Our dogs like walking in the rain.

  • She can pick you up from the airport.

  • I am hungry.

  • Hazel loves singing in front of people.

  • The tourists were waiting by the door.

  • He has read that book.

  • We will meet in room 301.

  • The cat sleeps in the bed every night.

  • We might arrive on time.

  • I watched the new episode last night.

  • You should be careful.

Activity 2: Uh oh!

Uh oh! Everyone in the pictures below is upset or arguing about something! What are they mad about? For each picture, write a negative sentence saying what is wrong or what the person is mad about. The first one is done as an example, and remember to use your imagination!

ex: The computer is not working.

A photo of a woman taken from above. She has a planner, a notebook, a phone, some glasses, and a laptop open on her desk and she is holding her head in her hands, clearly overwhelmed.

For an extra challenge, try using negative words (like never, none, or neither) instead of not to make each sentence negative!

Remember that these pictures can be interpreted differently, so the examples below are just possible answers. Your answers will probably be different!

  • e.g. He does not like his babysitter.

    A baby with dark hair sits on a picnic blanket in a park. He has a comically huge frown on his face as he looks at the camera.

  • e.g. This playground is not open.

    A white boy in a bike helmet stands over his bicycle and pouts with his arms crossed. In the background, we can see a playground that is wrapped in caution tape and a signs says "this area is temporarily closed."

  • e.g. They are not getting along.

    A photo of a man and woman arguing. They are pointing fingers at each other and both seem to be speaking at the same time.

  • This man does not have a cell phone, so he must use a pay phone.

    A photo of a white man in a dark hoodie screaming angrily into the receiver of a pay phone. He holds the receiver in front of his mouth instead of up to his ear. The pay phone appears to be in a public square, likely in a European city.

  • e.g. That cat doesn’t have any dinner!

    A calico and white cat sits on a brick path and meows angrily up at the camera.

  • e.g. Her friend did not arrive on time.

    A photo of a sad woman with long black hair in a beige sweater. She stands by a wall with her arms crossed. Behind her we can see a historic looking street and a canal.

  • e.g. It is not warm outside.

    A man wearing very warm clothes is pushing a snow towards the camera. The snow is blowing off to the left of the screen.

  • e.g. They do not agree on the project.

    A group of white men in business outfits are sitting around a white table. They are having a debate about the contents of a sheet of paper that sits between them.

  • e.g. She doesn’t know how to swim.

    A photo of a woman sitting at the end of a dock, taken from behind. Beyond where she sits is a large lake and, on the other side, a hazy mountain rainge.

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