The use of no and not. Building with Negative Words

A pronoun is a word that indicates an object or quality of an object, but does not directly name it. Today we are going to look at indefinite pronouns. indefinite pronouns) some, any, no in English.

Rules for using some, any, no

Before considering the uses some, any, no Let's find out the translation of these words.

  • Some- some, some, some, a few.
  • Any is translated in the same way, and can also be translated as "any".
  • no- none, not at all.

The general rule for these pronouns is: some, any, no must come before the noun they define. In this function, they resemble articles ( a/an and the), which are also used before a noun. Let's look at the table.

Sentence Example Countable Uncountable
+ We need an (some) apple.
some apples.
some rice.
some milk.
We don't need a (any) tomato.
any tomatoes.
any rice.
any sugar.
? Do we need a (any) tomato?
any tomatoes?
any rice?
any sugar?

It is important to remember that it is better not to leave a noun without an accompanying pronoun or article. And now - to the rules of use some, any, no in English.

  1. Pronoun some used in affirmative sentences. But it can also be found in interrogative sentences when it comes to a request or an offer to do something for someone.

    There is some portrait on the wall. - There is a portrait hanging on the wall.

    The boys broke some windows in the house. The boys broke several windows in the house.

    Would you like some beer? - Would you like some beer? (sentence)

    Give me, please, some juice. Give me some juice, please. (request)

    Please note that with words in the singular some translates as "some" ( some boy- some boy), with the same plural nouns - "several" ( some people- several people), but with uncountable nouns - "a little" ( some sugar- a little sugar).

  2. Pronoun any used in interrogative and negative sentences instead of some and means "any, some, none."

    Do you speak any foreign languages? – Do you speak any foreign languages?

    Did the manager take any decision? Did the manager make any decision?

    I did not find any mistakes. - I didn't find any errors.

    If a any stands in an affirmative sentence, then it is translated as “any”, “any”, “whatever”.

    Any vegetable is useful for your health. Any vegetable is good for your health.

    Any girl wants to get married. Every girl wants to get married.

    You can catch any of these buses. You can take any of these buses.

  3. Watch a video from a native speaker to see the difference between some and any.

  4. Pronoun no as a definition is used with all types of nouns both in the singular and in the plural. It expresses the absence of something and is used only in negative sentences.

    John has no furniture in his flat. John has no furniture in the apartment.

    Fortunately there are no cars in this area. “Fortunately, there are no cars in the area.

    Notice the difference between not and no. Not we use for the verb, and no- before a noun:

    I have no telephone at home. = I have not got a telephone at home. - I don't have a phone at home.

    There are no pupils in the classroom. = There are not any pupils in the classroom. - There are no students in the class.

    There is no information in the file. = There is not any information in the file. – There is no information in the file.

    You can use either option: no or not any. Just do not interfere with each other, because in an English sentence there can be only one negative.

    There is no difference. – There is not any difference or There is no difference. - No difference.

Combining some, any, no with other words

When we talk about people people), things ( things), places ( places), we can add some, any, no and get new words. Let's look at the table to see what words we can add these pronouns to.

About some + any + No+
People
people
Somebody, someone- someone, someone, someone, somebody Anybody, anyone- anyone, no one, anyone, anyone, anyone Nobody, no one- no one, no one
Things
things
Something- something, something, anything Anything- anything Nothing- nothing, nothing
Places
Fields
Somewhere- somewhere, somewhere, anywhere Anywhere- Anywhere, Anywhere, Anywhere Nowhere- nowhere, nowhere

And a few more rules to pay attention to.

  1. We use somebody, something, somewhere etc., when we do not say exactly who, what or where performs the action.

    Somebody broke the window. - Someone broke the window.

    He has done something special for me. He did something special for me.

    I want to go somewhere nice this evening. I want to go to some cool place in the evening.

  2. Use anyone, anything, anywhere in questions and with negative verbs.

    We didn't do anything last night. We didn't do anything yesterday.

    My friend didn't see anyone at the park. My friend didn't see anyone in the park.

  3. choose nobody, nothing, nowhere when you give a short answer, and also when the verb is in the affirmative form, but you still build a negative sentence.

    Who's in the bathroom? – Nobody. – Who is in the bathroom? - Nobody.

    We did nothing last night. We didn't do anything yesterday.

  4. Somebody, nobody are used in the same way as someone, no one. There is no difference in their meanings.

    Somebody (someone) wants to see you. “Someone wants to see you.

As you can see, there are not so many rules. If you study all this, the use some, any, no shouldn't cause any problems. At the end, we offer you a download plate and a test so that you remember the rules for using these pronouns.

Test

The use of some, any, no

Often, among beginners, one can find confusion: when should I use I don’t, and when should I’m not? And most often this happens when a person begins to remember grammar, and this confuses him even more.

Is it possible to use ‘i’m don’t’ , is it correct to say so? No, this is a wrong design.


In fact, you need to remember a simple:

I don't- is mainly used with an action verb, i.e. when you are doing something - "running, doing, drawing, etc."

Examples:

I don't run - I don't run.
I don't do - I don't
I don't draw - I don't draw.

And also with state verbs

I don't worry - I'm not worried.
I don't agree - I do not agree.
I don't care - I don't care.
I don't like - I don't like it.
I don't mind - I don't mind.
I don't know - I don't know.
I don't believe - I don't believe.
I don't understand you - I don't understand you.

I'm not- used with an adjective that expresses a person's state: joy, fatigue, etc.

I'm not familiar with - I'm not familiar with.
I'm not hungry - I'm not hungry.
I'm not wrong - I was not mistaken.
I'm not glad - I'm not happy.
I'm not upset - I'm not upset.
I'm not late - I'm not late.
I'm not sorry - I'm not sorry.
I'm not okay - I'm not okay.
I'm not lazy - I'm not lazy.
I'm not sick - I'm not sick.

The same principle is used with the phrase

In English, there is a certain attitude towards “no” words. They accompany verbs, nouns, they can be found in the group of adverbs, particles, pronouns. We decided to collect the most popular and frequent negations of the English language so that you can get to know this particular “negative” group.

When using the Negatives, there is one important rule to remember: leave only one negative in English in a simple sentence. Analogies with the Russian language will only get in the way here:

Nobody has ever done this.

In the Russian sentence, we see three negatives at once - the pronoun nobody, the adverb never, the verb did not. In English, this situation is unacceptable.
The first translation that comes to mind is the translation using “no one”:

No one has ever done it.

However, there are more ways to form a negative. This sentence can also be translated as:

  • People have never done it.
  • People haven't ever done it.

So, we have collected for you the top 5 “no” words, the knowledge of which will expand your language capabilities.

Negative particle Not

Indeed, the most common way to express negation in English is to use the particle not with verbs. Modal verbs, forms to be, have got, will attach this particle after themselves:

You mustn't ever be late. - You must never be late.

Haven't you got any respect for these people? Do you have no respect for these people?

In the case of weak verbs in English, the particle not is attached to the auxiliary verb don't/ doesn't/ didn't:

It didn't disappear anywhere. The knife is on the table. - He didn't go anywhere. Knife on the table.

into Russian particle not translates as “not” and is used mainly with verbs.

Negative word No

The English word “no” is practically not inferior to the first negation in terms of frequency of use. In a sentence, it most often comes before a noun that negates:

I have no money. - I have no money.

The tourists see no danger. - Tourists do not see any danger.

Do not translate sentences word by word. Use euphonious phrases that will not “cut your ear”. It is unlikely that you will hear such a translation:

Tourists see there is no danger.

Unless an electronic translator can please from time to time with such original passages.

Negative No+word

We decided to present this group as a separate category. Here you will find compound words. The English language has the ability to combine, which it so happily uses no:

  • no one / nobody - no one
  • No one knows her name. She opens it to nobody. - Nobody knows her name. She doesn't reveal it to anyone.

  • nothing - nothing
  • Nothing can change my mind. - Nothing will change my mind.

  • nowhere - nowhere
  • Where is the ring? I can find it nowhere. - Where is the ring? I can't find it anywhere.

Many of these “unions” are so tightly embedded in the structure of the language that they are not perceived as no+noun. These are fixed expressions such as:

no way- no way, where is the first value way- "way"
nonsense- nonsense, where sense means "reason", "meaning"
none of none of, none of
no matter what/ no matter who/ no matter when/ etc.- no matter what / no matter who / no matter where / and so on.

Negative adverb Never

Adverb never translated into Russian "never":

I will never forget your kindness. - I will never forget your kindness.

Like other representatives of “negativism”, it not only fully forms the negation in the English sentence, but also actively attaches other words to itself, forming new facets of negations:

still- in spite of, however, nevertheless
never mind- forget it, don't think about it
never-to-be-forgotten- unforgettable
never-ending- endless
etc. - and so on

Negative word Neither

Closes our top five English word neither, which, depending on the function in the sentence, can be both a noun, an adjective, and an adverb. In any case, its single meaning is “no one”, “none of”, “neither one nor the other”.

Neither of you is invited. - None of you are invited.

This word is also found in combination neither ..., nor - neither one nor the other.

Neither Davis nor Parker lived in Paris. - Neither Davis nor Parker lived in Paris.

In conclusion, we want to remind you once again that only one negation can be present in a simple English sentence. Of course, in colloquial speech, in songs, in films, one can encounter a violation of the rule, but this is rather an exception.

We wish you all the best in learning English!

Victoria Tetkina


When learning English, it is important to consider all sentence forms. Of course, you can answer any statements or questions in a positive way, but sooner or later you will have to disagree with something. Yes, you can just categorically shake your head, for this you don’t need English at all. However, it is better to take and study this topic in more detail, because negative sentences in English contain many different interesting features that can allow you to express negation in several ways.

First, let's look at what a negative sentence is. A negative sentence or a negative sentence in English is a sentence that is used to express refusal, unwillingness, or any other state that implies a negative form. Such sentences are used in speech and writing constantly in both formal and informal situations. How to form them?

Negative sentences in English: building with the particle not

The most common form of negation in English is the use of the negative particle not. Its Russian equivalent is the particle "not". Almost always negative sentences contain . The not particle comes right after it.

The standard scheme for negative sentences with the particle not:

Examples:

  • I didn't know about it. - I did not know about it.
  • We don't like this place. We don't like this place.
  • They will not tell you anything. “They won't tell you anything.

Recall that when negated in Simple tenses, semantic verbs take their initial form. Compare:

It is also worth noting that in speech and writing, the auxiliary verb and the particle are almost always reduced. In this case, the letter “n” is added to the auxiliary verb, after it an apostrophe, and then the letter “t”:

  • I haven't been there yet. “I haven't been there yet.
  • We aren't reading because we're tired. We don't read because we are tired.
  • I don't know where to put the vase. — I don't know where to put the vase.

The same scheme is used when a modal verb acts as an auxiliary:

  • I cannot (can't) help laughing. - I can not stop laughing.
  • Jane should not (shouldn't) be so rude with him. Jane shouldn't be so rude to him.
  • You must not (mustn't) touch anything here. You shouldn't touch anything here.

Note that unlike other auxiliary verbs, can merges with not when negated. If two verbs are used at once as an auxiliary, then the negative particle is placed after the first:

  • We will not (won't) have done the task by 5 o'clock. We won't have completed the task by 5 o'clock.
  • I should not (shouldn't) have come to that party. I shouldn't have gone to that party.
  • John has not (hasn't) been traveling since he started working. John hasn't traveled since he started working.

If the sentence is used with the verb to be in the present or past tense of the Simple group, the auxiliary verb is not needed in this case. The negative particle is placed after to be:

  • He wasn't too persistent. He wasn't too pushy.
  • I'm not a robot. - I am not a robot.
  • I'm sure she wasn't happy to hear this. I'm sure she wasn't happy to hear that.

Imperative negative sentences

Particular attention should be paid to imperative sentences. In the negative form, they are usually used with the auxiliary verb do and the particle not, expressing a prohibition or advice:

  • Don't come closer! - Don't come near!
  • Don't put your blame on me! Don't put your blame on me!
  • Don't worry. - Do not worry.

Such sentences are used only in colloquial speech.

Construction not only … but also

Sometimes the not particle can be part of the construction not only ... but also (not only ..., but also). In such cases, it cannot merge with the auxiliary verb. You can understand that such a construction is used by the meaning and by the presence of the words “but also”. Compare:

Perhaps this construction may cause some difficulties in the first stages, but later it will be very easy to distinguish it.

Building negative sentences using pronouns and adverbs

In English, there is one rule regarding sentences, which is absolutely not similar to Russian. So, if in Russian double negation is allowed, in English it can be only one. Let's figure out what this means.

For example, in Russian we can say something like “never”, “no one”, “nothing”, and so on. Both words express negation, but if one of them is omitted, the phrase will lose its original meaning or even sound somehow ridiculous.

In English, on the contrary, just the same double negation will sound ridiculous. Of course, you will still be understood, but this mistake will cut your ears very much. Therefore, you will have to choose one of two evils. We have already dealt with the negation of “not”, we will consider other options. Usually negation without a particle is constructed in two ways:

  1. With the help of the adverb never (never), which is used before the semantic verb, even if there are two auxiliary ones in the sentence:

Note that in this case, the endings of the verbs of the Simple group are preserved.

  1. With negative pronouns:
  • no - none, not at all, not one. This pronoun usually comes before the object expressed by a noun without an article, although it can also occur before the subject. Most often it can be found in the constructions there is / are, as well as after the verb have:

Of course, these constructions can also be used with a negative particle, but in this case, instead of "no", the pronoun "any" will be used:

As you can see, the meaning of this has not changed at all.

  • Derivatives from "no" can also add a negation to the sentence:

And also pronouns:

As in the previous case, with all pronouns except none, you can form a negative sentence with the not particle. Only derivations from "no" should become derived from "any":

And neither should be replaced by either (both / both):

Building with Negative Words

Negative sentences in English may be grammatically affirmative, meaning they may not contain any particles or negative pronouns. How is this possible? The fact is that some verbs themselves imply negation. Usually they contain negative prefixes dis- and mis-. Let's look at examples:

However, making any verb negative in this way will not work. Most of them still need a negative particle.

Denial in questions

You might be surprised, because today we are looking at negative sentences in English, not interrogative ones. However, in English there are interrogative-negative sentences. Asking such a question, the speaker, as a rule, wants to be sure of his guesses. In Russian equivalents, such questions contain the particles “is it” and “whether”. It is not difficult to formulate such a question. It is enough to take a standard general question and add to it after the auxiliary verb the particle not already known to you. Usually the auxiliary verb and the particle merge in this case:

If, instead of the usual type of question, a separator is used, it is possible to use two options that have different meanings:

Which option to choose depends on the situation.

That's all. As you can see, English negative sentences can be used in more than 5 ways. They are built quite simply, so the theme should be easy for you. If you want to consolidate your knowledge, do exercises on this topic and make up your own examples.

All of you have repeatedly met No and Not - it would seem that such similar words, but you know that there are still differences between them, and which ones, we will find out today! My name is Nastya and this is the Puzzle English channel. Of course, there are differences between no and not. Which? Both of these words are negatives, and they can be translated into Russian starting with the usual “no” or “not / neither”, ending with words like “no” or “without”. There are, of course, some nuances in their use, so we will consider them today. The particle no can only be used with a noun, as well as with a gerund in phrases expressing a strict prohibition. For example No TV tonight! - no TV tonight! No comments There’s no apple juice I have no free time at all No smoking! - Do not smoke! Notice if you say negatives like I have no time - I don't have time. There is no place to live - There is no place to live, then in this case we always put the verb in the affirmative form, because in an English sentence there can be only one negation, and the noun will always be used without an article, because no in most cases is replaced by not any: I have no time = I do not (don't) have any time, There is no place to live = There is not (isn't) any place live. Another use of no is to answer a question in the negative. Do you need anything? Do you need something? - No, thank you. - No thanks. Did you have a bad day? Did you have a bad day? - No. I just wasn't in the mood. No. I just wasn't in the mood. But the particle not can be used with many parts of speech. For example, Nouns: It is not a secret. - It's not a secret With verbs: she does not speak English - She doesn't speak English With adjectives: she is not tall - She's short With adverbs: not often With pronouns: It is not mine - It's not mine By the way, you you can say It's not a secret and It's no secret. As you can see, in the second case, we do not use the article “a” after no. There is a difference in the meaning of the two negatives, but very small. No is more emotional and denies any possibility. This is a somewhat stronger negation than not. It’s no secret can be translated as It’s not a secret at all or It’s not a secret at all, etc. While It's not a secret is a neutral statement - It's not a secret. At the same time, remember that in full sentences, not is placed after auxiliary or modal verbs, for example: I do not (don "t) like it - I don't like it She cannot (can" t) dance well - She can't dance well John was not (wasnt) sleeping. - John didn't sleep. We have not (haven't) seen each other for ages. We haven't seen each other for ages. And also before the infinitive - We decided not to go there. - We decided not to go there. he made me not to worry about it - He made me not worry about it. Now try to choose the correct option, what should be used in a particular case - not or no? Jerry has not or no money - Jerry has no money. right, we use no here before the noun money, we could use not if the sentence had an auxiliary verb does (Jerry does not have money) it is not expensive - It's not expensive. particle not is needed here - before the adjective expensive she is not a doctor - She is not a doctor. and here we also need to use not, because this particle refers here to the verb to be. If you really want to, then you can say She is no doctor, but at the same time the article will not be needed and such a phrase will be translated differently - She is not a doctor at all. I do not like milk - I don't like milk. there is no cake in the fridge - There is no cake in the fridge. Hope this tutorial was helpful for you? And to verify this, of course, you can follow the link and do the exercise to see if you understood everything well enough. Nastya and the Puzzle English channel were with you.