Business English for Success

Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org

4.2 Negative Statements

Learning Objectives

1. Identify a negative statement.


2. Write negative statements.

Negative statements are the opposite of positive statements and are necessary to express
an opposing idea. The following charts list negative words and helping verbs that can be
combined to form a negative statement.

Negative Words

never no hardly

nobody none scarcely

no one not barely

nowhere rarely

Common Helping Verbs

am is are

was were be

being been have

has had do

does did can

could may might

must will should

would ought to used to

The following examples show several ways to make a sentence negative in the present
tense.

1. A helping verb used with the negative word not.

Sentence: My guests are arriving now.

Negative: My guests are not arriving now.

2. The negative word no.

Sentence: Jennie has money.

Negative: Jennie has no money.