Negative Sentences: Introduction

The Relevance of the Topic

Negative sentences are an essential part of communication in English. They allow us to express absence, prohibition, or the nonexistence of something or some action. Understanding how to construct and use negative sentences correctly is fundamental to building clear and precise sentences. This skill enables you to say what doesn't happen, what you don't like, or what isn't true – as important as expressing the opposite!

Contextualization

In the English universe, just like in Portuguese, we have ways to transform positive sentences into negative ones. This is done with the help of special words called 'negative auxiliaries,' such as don't and doesn't. In the curriculum, the topic fits as a crucial block in the initial learning of sentence structure in English, right after understanding how to construct simple affirmative sentences. Mastering negative sentences opens doors to more complex and in-depth communication, allowing learners to explore a wider range of expressions and emotions in the English language.

Negative Sentences: Theoretical Development

Components

• Negative Auxiliaries: These are words like do/does that, when followed by the particle 'not' or its contracted form, like don't or doesn't, turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one.

  • Do not / Don't: Used with I, you, we, and they.
  • Does not / Doesn't: Used with he, she, and it.

• Subject: The person, animal, or thing that performs the action or about which something is said. In negative sentences, the subject is followed by the negative auxiliary.

  • Example: "I don't like carrots." ("Eu não gosto de cenouras.")

• Regular and Irregular Verbs: Just like in affirmatives, we need a main verb in the sentence. In the simple present and simple past tenses, we use negative auxiliaries to negate.

  • Example: "She doesn't go to school on Sundays." ("Ela não vai à escola aos domingos.")

• Word Order: In the negative, the sentence structure changes slightly to accommodate the negative auxiliary.

  • Structure: Subject + negative auxiliary + main verb + complement.
  • Example: "You don't play the piano." ("Você não toca piano.")

Key Terms

• Negation: The act of turning an assertion into a negative one. In English, this is usually done with the words 'not' or their contracted forms.
• Simple Present: One of the verb tenses in English, indicating habitual or constant action. Used to construct sentences in the present with do/does.
• Simple Past: Another verb tense, representing completed past actions. The auxiliary 'did' is used to negate sentences in this tense: did not / didn't.

Examples and Cases

• Using 'don't' with 'I'

  • "I don't eat meat." The particle 'not' is used with the verb 'do' to negate the verb 'eat'.
  • Detailed structure: [I] [do not] [eat] [meat].

• Contracted Forms

  • "He doesn't play soccer." Here 'does not' is contracted to 'doesn't'.
  • Why use the contracted form?: In informal conversations, contraction makes speech more fluid and natural.

• Negatives in the past with 'didn't'

  • "They didn't watch the movie last night." Even though the main verb is in the past ('watched'), with 'didn't' it reverts to the base form ('watch').
  • Points to note: The negative form in the past with 'didn't' does not require the main verb to be in the past.

By carefully exploring negative sentences, using examples, and understanding word order, children can become skilled at expressing negations in English.

Detailed Summary

Key Points

• Importance of Negative Sentences: Learning to use negative sentences is crucial to express what is not, does not happen, or we do not like.
• Use of Negative Auxiliaries: Don't and doesn't are key to making negative sentences in the simple present. Remember to use don't with I, you, we, they and doesn't with he, she, it.
• Subject and Word Order: The sentence starts with the subject followed by the negative auxiliary and then the main verb. Ex: "They don't sing."
• Verbs in the past with 'didn't': To make negative sentences in the past, we use 'didn't' before the main verb. The verb reverts to the base form (without 'ed'). Ex: "She didn't visit the museum."

Conclusions

• Expressing negations is simple with the correct structure: Subject + negative auxiliary + main verb (+ complement).
• Negative sentences are useful both in speech and writing to show disagreements or correct information.
• Contractions make speech more natural: Thus, 'do not' becomes 'don't' and 'does not' becomes 'doesn't' in informal contexts.

Exercises

1. Transform the affirmative sentences into negative ones:

   • "She plays the guitar." → "She doesn't play the guitar."
   • "We finish our homework." → "We don't finish our homework."

2. Complete the sentences with don't or doesn't:

   • "They ___________ like spicy food."
   • "He ___________ want to go to bed early."

3. Write three negative sentences about your own preferences or routines:

   • "I ___________ (action) ___________ (complement)."
   • "I ___________ (action) ___________ (complement)."
   • "I ___________ (action) ___________ (complement)."

Use your imagination and what you have learned about negative sentences to complete the exercises. Remember, in English, saying 'no' can be as important as saying 'yes'!