{"id":53,"date":"2014-07-18T19:26:34","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T19:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/successfulwriting\/?post_type=chapter&p=53"},"modified":"2014-07-19T04:45:20","modified_gmt":"2014-07-19T04:45:20","slug":"5-2-negative-statements","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-writingforsuccess\/chapter\/5-2-negative-statements\/","title":{"raw":"5.2 Negative Statements","rendered":"5.2 Negative Statements"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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5.2<\/span> Negative Statements<\/h2>\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Identify a negative statement.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Write negative statements.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nNegative<\/span><\/span> statements are the opposite of positive statements and are necessary to express an opposing idea. The following charts list negative words and helping verbs<\/span><\/span> that can be combined to form a negative statement.\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Negative Words<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    never<\/td>\r\nno<\/td>\r\nhardly<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    nobody<\/td>\r\nnone<\/td>\r\nscarcely<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    no one<\/td>\r\nnot<\/td>\r\nbarely<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    nowhere<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nrarely<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Common Helping Verbs<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    am<\/td>\r\nis<\/td>\r\nare<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    was<\/td>\r\nwere<\/td>\r\nbe<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    being<\/td>\r\nbeen<\/td>\r\nhave<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    has<\/td>\r\nhad<\/td>\r\ndo<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    does<\/td>\r\ndid<\/td>\r\ncan<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    could<\/td>\r\nmay<\/td>\r\nmight<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    must<\/td>\r\nwill<\/td>\r\nshould<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    would<\/td>\r\nought to<\/td>\r\nused to<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe following examples show several ways to make a sentence negative in the present tense.\r\n
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    1. A helping verb used with the negative word not<\/em>.\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> My guests are arriving now.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> My guests are not<\/strong> arriving now.<\/li>\r\n\t
    2. The negative word no.<\/em>\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Jennie has money.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> Jennie has no<\/strong> money.<\/li>\r\n\t
    3. The contraction n\u2019t.<\/em>\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Janetta does miss her mom.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> Janetta doesn\u2019t<\/strong> miss her mom.<\/li>\r\n\t
    4. The negative adverb rarely.<\/em>\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> I always go to the gym after work.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> I rarely<\/strong> go to the gym after work.<\/li>\r\n\t
    5. The negative subject nobody.<\/em>\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Everybody gets the day off.\r\n\r\nNegative: Nobody<\/strong> gets the day off.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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      Exercise 1<\/h3>\r\nOn a separate sheet of paper, rewrite the positive sentences as negative sentences. Be sure to keep the sentences in the present tense.\r\n
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      1. Everybody is happy about the mandatory lunch.<\/li>\r\n\t
      2. Deborah likes to visit online dating sites.<\/li>\r\n\t
      3. Jordan donates blood every six months.<\/li>\r\n\t
      4. Our writing instructor is very effective.<\/li>\r\n\t
      5. That beautiful papaya is cheap.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe following sentences show you the ways to make a sentence negative in the past tense.\r\n
        \r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Paul called me yesterday.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> Paul did not<\/strong> call me yesterday.\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Jamilee went to the grocery store.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> Jamilee never went<\/strong> to the grocery store.\r\n\r\nSentence:<\/strong> Gina laughed when she saw the huge pile of laundry.\r\n\r\nNegative:<\/strong> Gina did not laugh<\/strong> when she saw the huge pile of laundry.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nNotice that when forming a negative in the past tense, the helping verb did<\/em> is what signals the past tense, and the main verb laugh<\/em> does not have an -ed<\/em> ending.\r\n
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        Exercise 2<\/h3>\r\nRewrite the following paragraph by correcting the errors in the past-tense negative sentences.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCeleste no did call me when she reached North Carolina. I was worried because she not drove alone before. She was going to meet her friend, Terry, who lived in a town called Asheville, North Carolina. I did never want to worry, but she said she was going to call when she reached there. Finally, four hours later, she called and said, \u201cMom, I\u2019m sorry I did not call. I lost track of time because I was so happy to see Terry!\u201d I was relieved.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCollaboration\r\n\r\nOnce you have found all the errors you can, please share with a classmate and compare your answers. Did your partner find an error you missed? Did you find an error your partner missed? Compare with your instructor\u2019s answers.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nDouble negatives<\/span><\/span> are two negatives used in the same phrase or sentence. They are considered incorrect in Standard English. You should avoid using double negatives in all formal writing. If you want to say something negative, use only one negative word in the sentence. Return to the beginning of this section for a list of negative words, and then study the following examples.\r\n
        \"\"<\/a><\/div>\r\n
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        Tip<\/h3>\r\nAin\u2019t<\/em> is considered a contraction of am not<\/em>. Although some may use it in everyday speech, it is considered incorrect in Standard English. Avoid using it when speaking and writing in formal contexts.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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        Exercise 3<\/h3>\r\nOn your own sheet of paper, correct the double negatives and rewrite the following sentences.\r\n
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        1. Jose didn\u2019t like none of the choices on the menu.<\/li>\r\n\t
        2. Brittany can\u2019t make no friends with nobody.<\/li>\r\n\t
        3. The Southwest hardly had no rain last summer.<\/li>\r\n\t
        4. My kids never get into no trouble.<\/li>\r\n\t
        5. I could not do nothing about the past.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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          Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n