Making a clear negative

Approximate A1–A2 · editorial content label, not a certified rating.

Put not after be, a modal or the first auxiliary: is not, cannot, has not finished. With ordinary present/past-simple verbs, use do/does/did not plus the base form. Contractions such as doesn’t and didn’t are common in speech and informal writing.

Try the three exercise formats

Examples to compare

  • She does not work on Sundays.
  • We did not see it.
  • They have not finished.

Watch the meaning and the limits

Standard English generally uses any after a negative when it means an unspecified amount: I do not have any change. Never already has negative meaning, so I never go does not need an additional do not. Some dialects use negative concord; the drill practices standard written forms.

Read each example aloud, then change one detail to make a sentence you could use. Continue with focused practice when you want a different set.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Mistake: She does not likes coffee.

Use: She does not like coffee.

After does not, use the base form like.

Try the pattern

3 choose questions · 2 sentence completions · 2 word gaps. Read the reason after every answer. No timer.

Typed answers stay on this page. This guided set checks the requested construction; it does not judge general writing. Read the accepted answers and reasons.

Use it in your own sentence

Write one sentence about your own routine or situation. Check the subject, verb form and intended meaning against the rule above. A different sentence may need a different form: these exercises accept the reviewed answers for their stated context.

Try the next practice set, or choose another grammar point.

All drill answers and reasons

  1. She does not ___ on Sundays.

    Choices: work / works / worked

    Accepted: work

    After does not, use the base form.

  2. They ___ not ready. Use present be.

    Choices: are / do / have

    Accepted: are

    The adjective ready follows are not.

  3. We did not ___ the message.

    Choices: see / saw / seen

    Accepted: see

    Did not is followed by base-form see.

  4. Complete the present-simple negative of like: She ___ coffee.

    Accepted: does not like / doesn’t like

    Does not carries the negative and tense; like stays in the base form.

  5. Complete the past-simple negative of see: We ___ it.

    Accepted: did not see / didn’t see

    Did not takes base-form see, not saw.

  6. We do not have ___ change. Use some or any in this neutral negative.

    Accepted: any

    Any is the usual choice for an unspecified amount in this neutral negative.

  7. She has ___ finished. Add the full negative word after has.

    Accepted: not

    Put not after the first auxiliary, has.

Practice questions

How do the three exercise formats work?

Choose asks you to pick an answer. Complete the sentence asks you to type the missing phrase. Fill in the word asks for one word, or no article where stated. Every checked answer includes a reason.

Which typed answers are accepted?

Use the form and meaning requested in the prompt. Reviewed alternatives and contractions are accepted where they fit. Capital letters, surrounding spaces, straight or curly apostrophes and a final full stop, question mark or exclamation mark do not affect marking. The answer reference lists the accepted forms.

Are my typed answers sent or saved?

Typed answers stay on this page in your browser. They are not sent to the server or saved. If device progress is available, completing a set records only the activity and study points on this device.

Can this check my own writing or certify my level?

No. This is a small guided set with reviewed answers, not a general grammar checker or a level certificate. An unlisted answer does not mean it is always wrong in English. Read the prompt and the explanation for this construction.

Further reference: Cambridge English Grammar Today. The explanations, examples and exercises here are original; each lesson covers a useful pattern rather than every exception.