Forming Negative Sentences in Present Simple: Questions

The structure of negative sentences in the present simple questions is:

Don’t/doesn’t + Subject + base form of the verb + rest of the sentence

Obviously, when forming a question in negative sentences in the present simple, we start by putting the auxiliary verbs at the beginning of the sentence followed by the subject, the main verb, and the rest of the sentence.

Examples:

            Do you not like Mathematics?

            Do the children not eat vegetables?

            Does he not cook breakfast for you?

            Does the manager not give good comments?

Notice that if we contract the auxiliary verb and the word “not,” it follows the auxiliary verb.

            Don’t you like Mathematics?

            Don’t the children not eat vegetables?

            Doesn’t he cook breakfast for you?

            Doesn’t the manger give good comments?

It is important to note that the use of the auxiliary verbs must be aligned correctly with the subject in the sentence when forming the negative sentences in the present simple.

Negative Sentences in the Present Simple: with Be-verbs

Aside from the auxiliary verbs, we also form the present simple tense with the help of the be-verbs (am, is, are, was, were) when speaking about general truths such as geographical fact, mathematical fact, historical fact, etc. However, to form a negative sentence in this case, we add “not” after the be-verb.

Examples:

            Our house is not beside the river bank.

            Mt. Fuji is not the highest mountain in the world.

            10+5 is not equal to 105.

To form a question of negative sentences in the present simple with the be-verbs, it’s different from the question formed using the auxiliary verbs “don’t and doesn’t.”

The structure with the be-verbs is:

            Be-verb + Subject + not + rest of the sentence

Examples:

            Is the Nile not the longest river in the world?

            Were the Europeans not the first to discover America?

            Are these statues not for the soldiers?

Common Mistakes Most Learners Make

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for when forming negative sentences in the present simple:

• Forgetting the auxiliary verb: Don’t leave out “don’t” or “doesn’t.” It’s crucial to indicate the negative meaning.
• Adding “n’t” to the main verb: This is a common error. Remember, “n’t” goes with the auxiliary verb, not the main verb.
• Putting the third person singular form of the main verb when using “does” (e.g. She doesn’t likes painting.).
• Using the third person singular form when using the be verb “is” especially when contracted (e.g. She isn’t makes me sad.).