Negation in English. Negative questions in English Questions with negation

To communicate with foreigners, sometimes simple gestures are enough, but there are situations when it is extremely necessary to clarify something. This is where the difficulties begin, since few people remember how to set the general rules. The rules are often long forgotten, and the person is simply lost.

It makes no sense to argue with the fact that asking the right question is one of the most effective and fastest ways to obtain the required information from your interlocutor. By asking a question you can find out:

name of the interlocutor;
how to get to the place you need;
information about the product you are interested in in the store;
your health status if you end up in a hospital abroad;
what to do in an emergency or emergency situation, etc.

However, people who have difficulties with the English language feel quite insecure in situations where they need to say something. As a rule, they are embarrassed to say anything at all, even if they need help or some clarification. Therefore, the ability to competently construct a question in English will give confidence to any person in any situation abroad.

Which ones exist in English?

Constructing affirmative sentences, as a rule, does not cause any particular difficulties for language learners, but composing questions is difficult. Only understanding their structure will make it clear to yourself how to ask a general question in English. Types of questions have their own characteristics and are used in everyday communication by native speakers. There are five question types in total, including:

General question. For example: Do you like reading (Do you like read)?
For example: Who bought this ugly hat(Who bought this terrible hat)?
For example: Do you like comedies or dramas(Do you like comedies or dramas?)?
A question asked to the subject. For example: Which pen is yours(Which pen is yours)?
Separated question. For example: Children usually eat fruits and vegetables, don’t they(Children usually eat fruits and vegetables, don't they)?

Let's take a closer look at how to ask a general question in English.

Purpose of the question

This is the simplest and most common type of the five existing ones. It is asked of the entire sentence and requires a simple yes or no answer. Let's look at examples:

I like eating chocolate. Do you like eating chocolate? Yes, I do. No, I don't. - I like to eat chocolate. Do you like to eat chocolate? Yes. No.
Mark drives to California every month. Does Mark drive to California every month? Yes, he does. No, he doesn't. - Mark goes to California every month. Mark goes to California every month? Yes. No.
They can bring Kate some fruit. Can they bring Kate some fruit? Yes, they can. No, they can't. - They can bring Katya fruit. Can they bring Katya some fruit? Yes. No.

Note that in order to construct a general question, the auxiliary word “do” is sometimes used. This verb and its derivatives are used in combination with other verbs to produce an interrogative or negative type of interrogative sentence. However, if it contains the verb "to be", the use of the auxiliary word "do" is not required. Let's look at examples:

He is a generous man. Is he a generous man? Isn't he a generous man? - He is a generous man. Is he a generous man? Is he a generous man?
They are doctors. Are they doctors? Aren't they doctors? - They are doctors. Are they doctors? Are they doctors?
They visit Margaret every Tuesday. Do they visit Margaret every Tuesday? Don"t they visit Margaret every Tuesday? - They visit Margaret every Tuesday. Do they visit Margaret every Tuesday? Do they visit Margaret every Tuesday?

Question construction

How to ask a general question in English? It's easier than it might seem. First of all, you need to find the verb in the sentence and determine what function it performs:

linking verb ( to be and its derivative forms - am, are, is);
modal verb ( must, need, can, should, have to);
main verb (any verb, e.g. jump, go, watch, work etc.).

Then you should determine the time of the question. In order not to get confused with its definition, try turning this phrase into For example, the interrogative sentence “Does your aunt like to sing?”, Let’s turn it into the affirmative “Your aunt likes to sing.” Once you have found the verb and determined the tense, move on to constructing the question itself.

Word order

Another point worth highlighting for those who do not know how to ask a general question in English is word order. While in Russian we just change the intonation and get a question sentence, this does not work in English. To ask something, it is not enough to simply change your intonation to interrogative. In English interrogative construction, reverse word order is characteristic.

This means that it is especially important in this situation to use either an auxiliary or modal verb, or a linking verb “to be”, in the required form. Next comes the subject (most often expressed by a personal pronoun), the predicate and other members of the sentence. Let's look at examples:

They like expensive cars(they love expensive cars). In this example, “they” serves as the subject, and “like” is the predicate. Do they like expensive cars(do they like expensive cars)? Here “do” acts as an auxiliary word, “they” as a subject, and “like” as a predicate.
We are friends (m s friends). In this example, “we” is the subject and “are” is the predicate, in the form of the verb “to be” for the pronoun “we”. Are we friends (m are you friends)? Here “are” acts as the predicate and “we” as the subject.
He can sing well(he sings well). In this example, “he” is the subject and “can” is the modal verb. C an he sing well(does he sing well)? Here “can” acts as the predicate, which comes first, and “he” is still the subject.

Constructing a negative form of a question

Having figured out the word order, you can move on to the next important point - how to ask a general question in English in the negative form. The mentioned construction in Russian, as a rule, begins with the words “really” or “unless” and serves to express surprise and misunderstanding. The formation scheme of this form is the same as that of the affirmative one, only with the use of the negative particle “not”. Let's look at examples:

1. Do you not like our French lessons? - Don’t you like our French lessons? - Don't you love our French lessons?

2.Are they not at work? - Aren’t they at work? - Are they not at work?

3. Must we not do this work tomorrow? - Mustn’t we do this work tomorrow?- Shouldn't we do this work tomorrow?

How to answer a question

A general question requires an unambiguous "yes" or "no", which is formed as follows:

1. A positive answer implies the use of the word “yes”, a pronoun and a verb. For example:

Do you like eating strawberry cakes? Yes, I do. - Do you like to eat strawberry shortcakes? Yes.
Should they go to the party this Friday?Yes, they should. - Should they go to the party this Friday? Yes.
Is he a student of Harvard University?Yes, he is.- He is a student Yes.

2. A negative answer is formatted as follows: “no” + pronoun + verb + particle “not”. For example:

Do they like watching TV before going to bed?No, they don't (don't).- Do they like to watch TV before going to bed? No.
Can you read this new novel?No, I can't (can't).-Can you read this new novel? No.
Is Casandra his friend's sister?No, she is not (isn"t).- Casandra is his friend's sister? No.

Intonation features

The hardest part is left behind, because you already have an idea of how to ask a general question in English. The rules of pronunciation and intonation are another point worth dwelling on. It is typical for the English language to pronounce common questions with a rising tone. This tone is used in all questions that can be answered with a clear “yes” or “no.” To make things clearer, let's look at some examples in more detail:

"Do you "like this "new ↗films(do you like these new movies)? This is an interrogative sentence that implies a clear answer (yes/no), so it is pronounced in a rising tone.
"Is it a↗ desk (uh then the desk)? This interrogative sentence can be answered unambiguously (yes/no), so it is pronounced in a rising tone.
Have you got a↗ sister do you have a sister)? It is also pronounced in a rising tone, since it requires an affirmative “yes” or “no.”

Now you know how to ask a general question in English. The pronunciation rules in this case are very easy to remember.

Conclusion

Thus, we have considered all the theoretical aspects regarding how to ask a general question - in English, such a phrase is the simplest and at the same time the most important and common, therefore, knowing how to formulate it correctly, you can feel more confident in talking with foreigners abroad. To consolidate the material studied, you should move on to the practical part.

Consolidation exercises

1. To complete the first task, remember everything you have learned previously regarding how to ask a general question. In English, words after the ↗ sign are pronounced with a rising intonation:

Is she↗ old?
Do you↗ like it?
Is it a↗ sofa?
Can you↗ forger it?
Must you↗ read it?
Is it↗ your pen?
Are you↗ brothers?
Does she↗ love you?
Is it↗ dirty?
Are you↗ seventeen?
Do they usually↗ watch TV?
Can you repeat↗ after me?
Is your brother a↗ policeman?
Is Mary↗ kind?
Do you like cooking?

2. Answer the following general questions:

Are you a teacher?
Should we go there?
Can you help me on Monday?
Are they right?
Do they like it?
Is she her cousin?
Can you swim?
Is his name Mark?
Must I close the door?
Does she know him?
Can he jump?
Is it cheap?
Does he like fishing?
Am I naughty?
Can you forget about it?

3. Translate the following general questions into English:

Do you want to go to the cinema with me tomorrow?
Is she at home now?
Is their car red?
Can you turn off the TV?
Are these children really that naughty?
They are kind?
Does she like tulips?
Should I call him?
Should she go there?
Do you work on Saturday?
Do you like to listen music?
This is their home?
Have you forgotten about our meeting?
Can you repeat the last sentence?
Do you know their parents?
Do you work here?
Do they see us?
Can you call her back tomorrow morning?
Don't you know where this building is?
Is this the same person?

Word order: auxiliary verb + n’t + subject

Why Don't you listen to me?
Why don't you listen to me?
Don't you understand?
Do not you understand?
Haven't you received my postcard?
Didn't you receive my postcard?
Aren't they ready?
Aren't they ready?

Unabbreviated negative questions

Uncontracted negative questions are more formal than contracted negative questions.

Word order: auxiliary verb + subject + not

Why Do you not listen to me?
Why don't you listen to me?
Do you not understand?
You do not understand?
Have you not received my postcard?
Didn't you receive my postcard?
Are they not ready?
Are they not ready?

Shortened negative questions starting with the words “Won’t you...?”, “Wouldn’t you...?” or “Why don’t you...?” are very common in polite requests, invitations, suggestions, complaints, and critical remarks.

Wouldn't you like a cup of coffee?
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Why don't you come and stay with us?
Why don't you come and stay with us?

In response to a negative question, Yes assumes a positive answer, and No– negative.

“Haven’t you written to her?”Yes.”
Didn't you write to her? - Yes.
“Haven’t you told her about us?”No.”
You didn't tell her about us? - No.

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Shortened negative questions

Word order: auxiliary verb + n"t + subject

Why don't you listen to me?
Why don't you listen to me?

Don't you understand?
Do not you understand?

Haven't you received my postcard?
Didn't you receive my postcard?

Aren't they ready?
Aren't they ready?

Unabbreviated negative questions

Uncontracted negative questions are more formal than contracted negative questions.

Word order: auxiliary verb + subject + not

Why do you not listen to me?
Why don't you listen to me?

Do you not understand?
You do not understand?

Have you not received my postcard?
Didn't you receive my postcard?

Are they not ready?
Are they not ready?

Abbreviated negative questions starting with " Won't you...?", "Wouldn't you...?" or " Why don't you...?" are very common in polite requests, invitations, suggestions, complaints, and critical remarks.

Wouldn't you like a cup of coffee?
Would you like a cup of coffee?

Why don't you come and stay with us?
Why don't you come and stay with us?

In response to a negative question, yes assumes a positive answer, and no– negative.

"Haven"t you written to her?" "Yes." (= I have written to her.)
Didn't you write to her? - Yes. (= I wrote to her.)

"Haven"t you told her about us?" "No." (= I haven"t told her about you.)
You didn't tell her about us? - No. (= I didn't tell her about you.)

From the point of view of the purpose of the utterance, in English, just as in Russian, different types of utterances can be formed. English sentences are divided into declarative (affirmative and negative), interrogative (questions in English), exclamatory sentences and imperative phrases. To compose each of these types of sentences, there is a strict grammatical algorithm that must be followed, otherwise the construction of the structure will be incorrect. You can start with the most common affirmative sentences.

The procedure for constructing an affirmative sentence

Affirmative sentence (that's what this type is called) does not require any special particles in its formation. The main thing is to follow the standard order characteristic of the English language. To compose an affirmative sentence means to arrange the members of the sentence according to a certain pattern: subject, predicate and all other minor members. It is worth remembering that some tense forms (for example, Perfect or Future) have auxiliary verbs included in the structure of the predicate, which must also be used after the subject:

· He has eaten too much today, it’s time to stop – He ate too much today, it’s time to stop
· Alex will come in a few days, I suppose - Alex will come in a few days, I suppose

Note: when forming statements, there is an unspoken rule to use adverbs in a certain order: first adverbs of place, and then time. Sometimes this order may change, but these are already conditions for the author’s expressiveness:
Sally went (1) to Scotland (2) last week – Sally went to Scotland last week

It is worth saying that simple English sentences that emphasize a statement and end with a period at the end are called declarative sentences.

Negative sentences

Negative sentences in English are mostly formed in a standard way: the negative particle not comes to the rescue, which is placed either after the auxiliary verb of time or after the verb to be. It is no secret that the negative form of the verb to be is a construction that can be shortened, for example, is not = isn’t, will not = won’t, etc.

However, the particle not is not the only way to form a negative sentence. In general, in English, in addition to the particle not, there are several other methods for constructing negative sentences, namely:

· adverbs that carry a negative meaning (both directly and indirectly) – nowhere, never, hardly/scarcely, rarely/rarely, etc.;
· negative pronouns – nobody, nothing, no one, etc.;
· negative prefixes (ir-, il-, un-, dis-, mis-, etc.) and the suffix –less.

Note: an English sentence cannot have two negatives! If such a situation is possible in the Russian language, then in English this cannot be allowed; it is necessary to convey the negative meaning differently, and sometimes this can be done in several ways:

I didn’t see anyone yesterday – 1. I did not see anybody yesterday 2. I saw nobody yesterday

The negative form in English is possible even in an interrogative sentence, but this will be discussed a little further.

Types of interrogative sentences in English

It is important to remember that there is no single rule for composing questions in English, since there are a total of six varieties of such sentences, and each of them is formed differently from the other.

Rule for forming a general question

A general question in English is a question that begins either with an auxiliary verb (have/has, do/does, did, etc.) or with the required form (it will help you get rid of doubts about the formation of certain tense forms). A distinctive feature of General questions is that the answer to them can be the words “yes” or “no,” that is, the person asking the question is asking about some general information.

General questions in English are quite popular and, as a rule, do not pose much of a challenge in education. The word order in General question is special, as in almost all other sentences with a question. The answer to how to ask a general question is quite simple: the verb to be or another auxiliary verb must be followed by a subject, and then the rest of the sentence structure:

· Does he appreciate his new job? – Does he appreciate his new job?
· Have they already eaten donuts? Have they already eaten the donuts?
· Is she really as beautiful as they say? – Is she really as beautiful as they say?

Features of a special question

A special question in English is so called because it puts a special interrogative word first - when, how, where, why, etc. This is the main difference between Special questions and General, since the question word is followed by the same word order that general questions have: one of the auxiliary verbs comes first, then the subject, and then the secondary members of the sentence. In English, special questions have the following structure:

· When did you return from Berlin? – When did you return from Berlin?
· Why is he so lazy? - Why is he so lazy?

With the exception of the beginning, the scheme of a special question completely repeats the general one and usually also does not cause difficulties for people learning the language.

English question to subject

The question to the subject in the English language is considered by many to be the simplest from an educational point of view, and there is a fairly logical explanation for this. Such questions are somewhat reminiscent of special questions, but here the main question words are who and what (this is where the name came from). Questions with who and what are formed in an elementary way: the simple affirmative form with the subject at the beginning of the sentence changes very slightly and just who (for animate nouns) or what (for inanimate nouns) is put in place of the main member of the sentence, and this is where the whole transformation is completed. Here are examples of how similar questions are formed in English:

· Emily is the best cook in the world – Who is the best cook in the world?
· His work has influenced him greatly – What has influenced him greatly?

You should not confuse special questions in English with questions to the subject, since here you do not need to use any auxiliary verbs.

Note: There is a rule that allows you to use what with inanimate nouns. Translation of the phrase “What are you?” - “What is your occupation?” (“Who are you?” - “Who are you?”, the name is implied).

Alternative question

The alternative question in English is similar to the general question in the way it is formed, but there is one nuance. That is why it is called alternative, since the person asking such a question does not just want to hear the answer “yes” or “no”, but clarifies something, choosing from two objects, qualities, actions. These actions or objects are separated by the particle or, introducing an alternative. The questions look like this:

· Does he like meat or fish? – Does he like meat or fish?
· Will you come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? – Will you come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?

Conditions for the formation of a dividing question

These questions have several names: Disjunctive questions, Tag questions, and sometimes they are popularly referred to simply as questions with a tail. Their essence is to ask again, clarify, and interest the interlocutor. Dividing questions in English (this is their most common name in Russian) are formed in an unusual way: the main part is affirmative, and the whole question is contained in the so-called tail. Moreover, if there is no negation in the main part of the sentence, then it will appear in the tail, and vice versa. At the end there should be the auxiliary verb that corresponds in tense to the main part, and it should be followed by the subject. In fact, there is nothing complicated here:

· They are coming in a week, aren’t they? - They're coming in a week, aren't they?
· She hasn’t completed her task, has she? “She hasn’t finished her task yet, has she?”

Note: in imperative sentences the formation of such a question is non-standard:

· Let’s finish this work, shall we? - Let's finish this job, okay?
· Go and bring me my money, will you? - Go and get me my money, okay?

Indirect questions

There is another type of question - indirect. To understand how to ask such questions, it is worth remembering that they are relevant, as their name implies, in indirect speech, when it is necessary to convey the words of the author. Here the conjunction if appears, and the word order must be direct, since the sentence from interrogative becomes declarative:

· He worried if he will stay alive - He was worried whether he would remain alive
· I wonder if you want to come - I wonder if you want to come

Interrogative-negative sentences

Absolutely any tense can form the forms of so-called interrogative-negative sentences in English. This means that the structure of the sentence includes both a question and a negation, and from a grammatical point of view this is quite acceptable. Such negative questions are translated in English using the constructions “Really?”, “Isn’t it?”:

· Didn’t you find your book there? “Didn’t you find your book there?”
· Hadn’t Jack finished his work before I called? “Didn’t Jack finish his work before I called?”

Imperative sentences in English

Classification of sentences in English implies the presence of one more type of sentence in addition to the above - these are imperative sentences, i.e. imperative. Such structures are simple to form: the infinitive without the particle to comes first, and to put it even more simply, it is simply the first form of the verb. The following sentences are used when you need to give an order, ask for something, call for action, etc.:

· Send me a letter as soon as you get there - Send me a letter as soon as you get there
· Leave the room right now! - Leave the room right now!

Exclamatory sentences in English

Exclamatory sentences are designed to show emotions, and they are called exclamatory sentences. They often begin with the word what and are used with an exclamation point at the end:

· What a catching story! – What a fascinating story!
· What a shame! - What a shame!

All these types of sentences are actively used in the English language, and, knowing how they are formed, it will be much easier to use them in your speech, and the language itself will become richer and more beautiful, because there will be many more ways to express certain emotions or thoughts.

On our website we have already talked about what questions there are in English. We discussed four main types of English questions. But in English there is another type - this is a question with negation or interrogative negative form.

Let's take a closer look at this aspect of the interrogative-negative form and its structure.

How are negative questions formed?

Since there are four types of questions in English, each of these types can be transformed from an interrogative into an interrogative-negative sentence.

For example, let's take the sentence WegoshoppingeverySaturday - we go shopping every Saturday. We ask him four questions and immediately transform these questions into a negative form. The word order is as follows : auxiliary verb + negation n’t + subject:

Do we go shopping every Saturday? — Do we go shopping every Saturday?
Don’t we go shopping every Saturday? — Don't we go shopping every Saturday?
When do we go shopping? — When do we go shopping?
When don’t we go shopping? — When do we not go shopping?

A rare but acceptable form of alternative question with negation. (More often in oral speech):

Do we go shopping every Saturday or every Monday? — Do we go shopping every Saturday or every Monday?
Don’t we go shopping every Saturday or every Monday? — Don’t we go shopping every Saturday or every Monday?

Examples of negative questions based on the verb To Be

Negation in English. Negative questions in English Questions with negation

Which ones exist in English?

Purpose of the question

Question construction

Word order

Constructing a negative form of a question

How to answer a question

Intonation features

Conclusion

Consolidation exercises

Unabbreviated negative questions

Related topics:

Shortened negative questions

Unabbreviated negative questions

The procedure for constructing an affirmative sentence

Negative sentences

Types of interrogative sentences in English

Rule for forming a general question

Features of a special question

English question to subject

Alternative question

Conditions for the formation of a dividing question

Indirect questions

Interrogative-negative sentences

Imperative sentences in English

Exclamatory sentences in English

How are negative questions formed?

More about negative questions