La forma negativa en inglés
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La forma negativa
La forma negativa se construye de manera diferente dependiendo si el verbo es un auxiliar (be, have, will, can...) o si es un verbo ordinario.
• Si el verbo es un auxiliar, la negación se construye con not (o con la contracción -n't) y sin el auxiliar 'do/does/did':
• Si el verbo es un auxiliar, la negación se construye con not (o con la contracción -n't) y sin el auxiliar 'do/does/did':
She cannot know the truth. Ella no puede saber la verdad. (¡Observe que las palabras 'can' y 'not' forman una sola palabra en la construcción negativa!)
I am not ready yet. No estoy listo todavía.
They won't come. Ellos no vendrán.
Las contracciones -n't (isn't, aren't, doesn't, don't, won't, can't...) se utilizan mucho en el inglés hablado. Utilizar el not separado de la palabra permite recalcar la idea de negación en la frase:
Is Bruno home? No, he is NOT (at home). ¿Está Bruno en casa? No, no está en casa.
• Si el verbo es ordinario, se utiliza el auxiliar do/does/did para introducir la negación:
He does not (ou doesn't) play rugby. No juega al rugby.
They didn't go to the theater yesterday. Ellos no fueron ayer al teatro.
Observaciones:
El verbo ordinario to do también se conjuga con el auxiliar do/does/did:
El verbo ordinario to do también se conjuga con el auxiliar do/does/did:
He doesn't do his work properly. Él no hace su trabajo correctamente.
You didn't do my laundry. No lavaste mi ropa sucia.
La negación también puede ser introducida por el adverbio never, el cual es, en sí mismo, una negación:
I have never seen the Eiffel Tower. Yo nunca he visto la torre Eiffel.
Ejercicio 1
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Icarus wakes up early every morning. 'You to be late', Icarus always says. 'Life for the lazy'. He is usually awake before the sun rises. He coffee, though. 'Caffeine perverts the brain's natural synapse rate', he says. 'Would you like a cup of coffee sir?' they say to him at the café. 'No thanks', says Icarus, 'I caffeine to stay on top of the world'!
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Icarus wakes up early every morning. 'You to be late', Icarus always says. 'Life for the lazy'. He is usually awake before the sun rises. He coffee, though. 'Caffeine perverts the brain's natural synapse rate', he says. 'Would you like a cup of coffee sir?' they say to him at the café. 'No thanks', says Icarus, 'I caffeine to stay on top of the world'!
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Icarus wakes up early every morning. 'You [not done] can't afford 1 to be late', Icarus always says. 'Life [not done] won't wait 2 for the lazy'. He is usually awake before the sun rises. He [not done] doesn't drink 3 coffee, though. 'Caffeine perverts the brain's natural synapse rate', he says. 'Would you like a cup of coffee sir?' they say to him at the café. 'No thanks', says Icarus, 'I [not done] don't need 4 caffeine to stay on top of the world'!
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Icarus wakes up early every morning. 'You [not done] can't afford 1 to be late', Icarus always says. 'Life [not done] won't wait 2 for the lazy'. He is usually awake before the sun rises. He [not done] doesn't drink 3 coffee, though. 'Caffeine perverts the brain's natural synapse rate', he says. 'Would you like a cup of coffee sir?' they say to him at the café. 'No thanks', says Icarus, 'I [not done] don't need 4 caffeine to stay on top of the world'!
1 can't afford: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (can) and a main verb (afford), 'not' is placed in between the two. Here we use the contracted form to make the statement negative.
2 won't wait: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (will) and a main verb (wait), 'not' is placed in between the two. In the contracted form 'will not' becomes 'won't'.
3 doesn't drink: When forming a negative construction with a regular verb (drink), we generally add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not'. Because the subject is 'he', we say: 'He does not drink coffee' or 'He doesn't drink coffee'.
4 don't need: When forming a negative construction with a regular verb (need), we usually add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not'. Because the subject is 'I', we say: 'I do not need caffeine' or 'I don't need caffeine'.
Ejercicio 2
Bruno: Hey Susie. Would you like to grab a drink after work?
Susie: . I have an appointment with the mayor.
Bruno: Oh! I had no idea. I thought you had finished that project.
Susie: ! But I received a call from the mayor's office this morning.
Bruno: I if I like this very much.
Susie: , but there's not much I can do to avoid it.
Susie: . I have an appointment with the mayor.
Bruno: Oh! I had no idea. I thought you had finished that project.
Susie: ! But I received a call from the mayor's office this morning.
Bruno: I if I like this very much.
Susie: , but there's not much I can do to avoid it.
Bruno: Hey Susie. Would you like to grab a drink after work?
Susie: I can't 1. I have an appointment with the mayor.
Bruno: Oh! I had no idea. I thought you had finished that project.
Susie: So did I 2! But I received a call from the mayor's office this morning.
Bruno: I don't know 3 if I like this very much.
Susie: Neither do I 4, but there's not much I can do to avoid it.
Susie: I can't 1. I have an appointment with the mayor.
Bruno: Oh! I had no idea. I thought you had finished that project.
Susie: So did I 2! But I received a call from the mayor's office this morning.
Bruno: I don't know 3 if I like this very much.
Susie: Neither do I 4, but there's not much I can do to avoid it.
1 I can't: This is the best choice here. 'Can't' is the contracted form of 'cannot', which is the negative construction used with 'can'.
1 I not can: 'Not' is never used directly after the subject and before the verb.
1 I can't not: 'I can't not' (I cannot not) forms a double negative, which is grammatically incorrect in English.
1 I'm not can: We do not use an auxiliary (am), when using 'can' in negative constructions.
2 So did I: The auxiliary construction 'So did I' is used to show agreement. We use 'did' here because Susie is responding to Bruno's statement 'I thought you finished'. Because there is not an auxiliary in this original statement, we use 'do' conjugated in the past tense.
2 So do I: Because 'thought' in the Bruno's original statement is in the past tense, we cannot use 'do' in the present tense.
2 So am I: Because Bruno did not use the verb 'am' in his original statement, we cannot use it in the response.
2 So thought I: We never use regular verbs (thought) in the construction 'so do I'. We only use auxiliaries (be, do, could, will, etc.).
3 don't know: When forming a negative construction with a regular verb (know), we usually add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not'. 'Don't' is the contracted form of 'do not'.
3 know not: Because 'know' is a regular verb, we must use an auxiliary to form the negation.
3 do know not: When we have an auxiliary and a regular verb, 'not' is placed in between the two.
3 known't: 'Known't' is grammatically incorrect. Because 'know' is a regular verb, we must use an auxiliary to form the negation.
4 Neither do I: The auxiliary construction 'Neither do I' is used to show agreement with a negative sentiment. We use 'do' here because Susie is responding to Bruno's statement 'I don't know if I like this'. The auxiliary 'do' is used in agreement with 'don't' in Bruno's statement.
4 Neither know I: We never use regular verbs (know) in the construction 'neither do I'. We only use auxiliaries (be, do, could, will, etc.).
4 Neither did I: Because 'don't' in Bruno's original statement is in the present tense, we cannot use 'did' in the past tense.
4 Neither am I: Because Bruno did not use the verb 'am' in his original statement, we cannot use it in the response.
Ejercicio 3
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Bruno was raised by his grandfather Xavier. Xavier always gave Bruno advice when he was young. He used to say ' to be yourself, Bruno. You about what others think of you. If you listen to the critics, you any progress.' Towards the end of his life, Xavier began to say strange things like 'You fish on a Tuesday. If you do, you anyone until September.' Xavier had developed Alzheimer's disease, but to this day Bruno following his grandfather's advice.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Bruno was raised by his grandfather Xavier. Xavier always gave Bruno advice when he was young. He used to say ' to be yourself, Bruno. You about what others think of you. If you listen to the critics, you any progress.' Towards the end of his life, Xavier began to say strange things like 'You fish on a Tuesday. If you do, you anyone until September.' Xavier had developed Alzheimer's disease, but to this day Bruno following his grandfather's advice.
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Bruno was raised by his grandfather Xavier. Xavier always gave Bruno advice when he was young. He used to say '[not done] Don't be afraid 1 to be yourself, Bruno. You [not done] can't worry 2 about what others think of you. If you listen to the critics, you [not done] won't make 3 any progress.' Towards the end of his life, Xavier began to say strange things like 'You [not done] shouldn't eat 4 fish on a Tuesday. If you do, you [not done] mustn't tell 5 anyone until September.' Xavier had developed Alzheimer's disease, but to this day Bruno [not done] hasn't stopped 6 following his grandfather's advice.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary.
Bruno was raised by his grandfather Xavier. Xavier always gave Bruno advice when he was young. He used to say '[not done] Don't be afraid 1 to be yourself, Bruno. You [not done] can't worry 2 about what others think of you. If you listen to the critics, you [not done] won't make 3 any progress.' Towards the end of his life, Xavier began to say strange things like 'You [not done] shouldn't eat 4 fish on a Tuesday. If you do, you [not done] mustn't tell 5 anyone until September.' Xavier had developed Alzheimer's disease, but to this day Bruno [not done] hasn't stopped 6 following his grandfather's advice.
1 Don't be afraid: Both 'be afraid' and 'don't be afraid' are imperative constructions. To make an imperative construction negative, we add the negative auxiliary 'don't' or 'do not' in front of the entire expression ('be afraid').
2 can't worry: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (can) and a main verb (worried), 'not' is placed in between the two to make the statement negative. Here we use the contracted form to make the statement negative.
3 won't make: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (will) and a main verb (make), 'not' is placed in between the two to make the statement negative. In the contracted form 'will not' becomes 'won't'.
4 shouldn't eat: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (should) and a main verb (eat), 'not' is placed in between the two to make the statement negative. In the contracted form 'should not' becomes 'shouldn't'.
5 mustn't tell: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (must) and a main verb (tell), 'not' is placed in between the two to make the statement negative. In the contracted form 'must not' becomes 'mustn't'.
6 hasn't stopped: When forming negative constructions with a verb in a perfect tense (has stopped), 'not' is placed in between the auxiliary and the participle to make the statement negative. In the contracted form, 'has not' becomes 'hasn't'. The idiom 'to this day' indicates that Bruno continues to follow Xavier's advice currently (today).
Ejercicio 4
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary
Luna: Hello you have reached the office voice mail box of Luna DeLune. I in the office right now, or I the phone. Please to leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary
Luna: Hello you have reached the office voice mail box of Luna DeLune. I in the office right now, or I the phone. Please to leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Replace the verbs in the text below with the correct negative form.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary
Luna: Hello you have reached the office voice mail box of Luna DeLune. I [not done] am not 1 in the office right now, or I [not done] can't answer 2 the phone. Please [not done] don't hesitate 3 to leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Be careful! Some negative forms require an auxiliary
Luna: Hello you have reached the office voice mail box of Luna DeLune. I [not done] am not 1 in the office right now, or I [not done] can't answer 2 the phone. Please [not done] don't hesitate 3 to leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
1 am not: To make this construction negative, we simply add 'not' after the verb 'to be'. 'To be' is one of the few verbs which is not contracted with the 'n't' form.
2 can't answer: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (can) and a main verb (answer), 'not' is placed in between the two to make the statement negative. Here we use the contracted form to make the statement negative.
3 don't hesitate: When forming a negative construction with a regular verb (hesitate), we generally add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not'. Note that this is an imperative construction, which can be made negative by adding the negative auxiliary 'don't' or 'do not' in front of the entire expression.
Ejercicio 5
Change the sentences below into the appropriate negative forms
For example: that horse (to win) the race tomorrow --> That horse won't win the race tomorrow.
I Italian food.
The car yesterday.
Your new tricycle very nice.
You good this morning.
It very hot last Saturday, so we swimming.
For example: that horse (to win) the race tomorrow --> That horse won't win the race tomorrow.
I Italian food.
The car yesterday.
Your new tricycle very nice.
You good this morning.
It very hot last Saturday, so we swimming.
Change the sentences below into the appropriate negative forms
For example: that horse (to win) the race tomorrow --> That horse won't win the race tomorrow.
I [not done] don't like 1 Italian food.
The car [not done] wouldn't start 2 yesterday.
Your new tricycle [not done] isn't 3 very nice.
You [not done] don't smell 4 good this morning.
It [not done] wasn't 5 very hot last Saturday, so we [not done] didn't go 6 swimming.
For example: that horse (to win) the race tomorrow --> That horse won't win the race tomorrow.
I [not done] don't like 1 Italian food.
The car [not done] wouldn't start 2 yesterday.
Your new tricycle [not done] isn't 3 very nice.
You [not done] don't smell 4 good this morning.
It [not done] wasn't 5 very hot last Saturday, so we [not done] didn't go 6 swimming.
1 don't like: To form a negative construction with an ordinary verb (like), we add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not'. 'Don't' is the contracted form of 'do not'.
2 wouldn't start: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (would) and a main verb (start), 'not' is placed in between the two. In the contracted form 'would not' becomes 'wouldn't'. We know that we need a past tense form of the auxiliary because the term 'yesterday' indicates that this action took place in the past. Here 'would' expresses a regular action in the past. We can assume that someone tried to start the car several times yesterday with no success.
3 isn't: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary (to be) and an adjective (nice), 'not' is placed in between the two to create a negative statement. 'Isn't' is the contracted form of 'is not'.
4 don't smell: When forming a negative construction with an ordinary verb (smell), we add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'do' followed by 'not' to create a negative statement. 'Don't' is the contracted form of 'do not'.
5 wasn't: When forming a negative construction with an auxiliary (to be) and an adjective (hot), we add a conjugated form of the auxiliary 'is' followed by 'not' to create a negative statement. 'Wasn't' is the contracted form of 'Was not'.
6 didn't go: When forming negative constructions with an auxiliary ('to do') and a main verb 'to go (swimming)', 'not' is placed in between the two to create a negative statement. In the contracted form, 'did not' becomes 'didn't'.
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