Negation is simply an opposition to the affirmation of a sentence, it refutes a sentence. Or we can say the falsity of a true sentence is known as negation.
Example:
- I will complete my work on time.
- Negation: I cannot complete my work on time.
Rules of Negation:
We can apply negation to a sentence by changing its auxiliary verb.
Negation in Tenses:
| Present Indefinite | Do=do not, does = does not |
| Present Continuous | Am = am not, is = is not, are = are not, |
| Present Perfect | Have = have not, has = has not. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Has been = has not been, have been = have not been |
| Past Indefinite | Did = did not |
| Past Continuous | Was = was not, were = were not |
| Past Perfect | Had = had not |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Had been = had not been |
| Future Indefinite | Shall = shall not, will = will not |
| Future Continuous | Shall be = shall not be, will be = will not |
| Future Perfect | Shall have = shall not have
will have = will not have |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Shall have been = shall not have been,
will have been = will not have been |
Examples:
Erica writes blogposts
Negation: Erica does not write blog posts.
My aunt would visit this week.
Negation: My aunt would not visit this week.
Negation in Modal and auxiliaries:
| Modal | Negation |
| May | May not |
| Can | Can not |
| Could | Could not |
| Might | Might not |
| Must | Must Not |
| Shall | Shall not |
| Should | Should not |
| Will | Will not |
| Would | Would not |
Negation in words:
Usage of words such as ever, anybody, somebody, etc. along with the auxiliary verbs will also create a negation.
Example:
- They thought anybody would never figure out the secret.
Uses of Double Negation:
At times, there are also words used along with negations that form double negations. These negations are considered grammatically incorrect and only used in informal communication.
There are two uses of double negation:
Using negative words:
Negative words like, never, nobody, nothing, etc.
Example:
He could not believe that nobody in his house knew it was his birthday.
Using Prefix:
Prefixes such as ir, il, im, un, etc.
Example:
It is not impossible to go to the moon anymore.