Negatives

The most common negative words are not, no, never, nothing, nobody, nowhere, and neither. Each one fits a particular part of speech and function in a sentence.

Not is used to negate verbs, auxiliaries, and modals. It usually follows an auxiliary like do, does, did, can, will, or have. When there is no auxiliary, use do + not for the negative.

No goes directly before a noun to create a short negative phrase. Use no when you want to emphasize the absence of something and when there is no article or adjective between no and the noun.

Words like nobody, no one, nothing, and nowhere are negative pronouns that replace a person, thing, or place in the sentence. They make sentences shorter and clearer when you want to express a complete absence.

Standard English avoids double negatives because they can confuse meaning. Two negatives in the same clause usually cancel out or create an unintended positive. Use only one negative word to keep the sentence clear.

Words like never, hardly, rarely, and neither add negative meaning in different ways. Never denies all time, hardly and rarely show small or infrequent amounts, and neither joins two negative options.

Use not to negate verbs, no before nouns, and negative pronouns to replace missing people or things. Avoid double negatives to keep meaning clear, and choose the negative word that fits the idea you want to express.