Part 2: Verbs
Negative Verbs
Examples
I don’t like asparagus.
We didn’t mean to go to sea.
They haven’t told us yet.
Definition
All verb phrases can be described as affirmative (i.e., positive, or “yes”) or negative (“no”). This is technically called the polarity of the verb: like a magnet, a verb has a + and – pole.
Form
The basic English negative involves inserting the adverb not into the verb phrase. The position of not can be a little tricky. With one big exception (the verb be, discussed later), not has to follow the first auxiliary (or helping) verb in the phrase (see the Verb Tense overview for an explanation of auxiliary and main verbs). That is, we say
I do not like asparagus.
and not
*I not like asparagus.
*I do like not asparagus.
This is straight-forward in verb phrases that already require an auxiliary verb to add perfect or progressive aspect, passive voice, or modality. The auxiliary verbs and negative adverbs are highlighted in this table:
|
|
Affirmative (+) |
Negative (-) |
|
Progressive aspect |
We are learning about Black scientists. They were running around at recess. |
We are not learning about Black scientists. They were not running around at recess. |
|
Perfect aspect |
We have learned about Black scientists. They had run around at recess. |
We have not learned about Black scientists. They had not run around at recess. |
|
Passive voice (be + past participle) |
They are taught about Black scientists. They were taught about Black scientists. |
They are not taught about Black scientists. They were not taught about Black scientists. |
|
Modal verb |
She can swim. |
She cannot swim. |
However, when a verb phrase does not already have an auxiliary verb (i.e., it only contains one main verb), we add the auxiliary do/does/did so that not has an auxiliary it can attach to:
|
|
Affirmative (+) |
Negative (-) |
|
Present simple tense |
She swims well. They like their teacher. |
She does not swim well. They do not like their teacher. |
|
Past simple tense |
We walked to school. We drove to school. |
We did not walk to school. We did not drive to school |
Notice that the main verb in the negative clauses has to be the base form:
We did not walk
NOT *we did not walked
Another way to say this is that we mark the verb tense and subject-verb agreement only on the first auxiliary – so in this case do, does, or did, but not on the main verb that follows (swim, walk, drive).
The linking verb be is an exception: it can take not without an auxiliary:
I am not ready.
NOT *I do not be ready.
As you probably realized if you read the examples aloud, it is much more natural to contract the word not in speech and many types of writing. These forms are important for English learners:
|
Full form |
Contracted form |
|
She does not swim well. |
She doesn’t swim well. |
|
They do not like their teacher. |
They don’t like their teacher. |
|
We did not walk to school. |
We didn’t walk to school |
|
We are not learning about Black scientists. |
We aren’t learning about Black scientists. |
|
There were not running around at recess. |
They weren’t running around at recess. |
|
We have not learned about Black scientists. |
We haven’t learned about Black scientists. |
|
They had not run about at recess. |
They hadn’t run about at recess. |
|
They are not taught about Black scientists. |
They aren’t taught about Black scientists. |
|
They were not taught about Black scientists. |
They weren’t taught about Black scientists. |
Once more, the verb be is an exception: it has two patterns in every form of the present simple tense, except I:
|
Full form |
Contracted form |
|
I am not ready. |
I’m not ready. |
|
You are not ready. |
You’re not ready. You aren’t ready. |
|
She is not ready. |
She’s not ready. She isn’t ready. |
|
We are not ready. |
We’re not ready. We aren’t ready. |
This extends to negatives of all verbs in the present progressive tense: they aren’t learning about Black scientists, or they’re not learning about Black scientists.
Careful!
Although English does not have the contracted form I amn’t ready, many dialects of English allow the similar form I ain’t ready in speech. This form is not accepted in standardized written English. Strangely when we invert the subject and verb to form a question, we get Aren’t I? without any use of am.
Function
The function of a negative verb is to negate the meaning of the main verb: to say something isn’t true or didn’t happen. Functional linguists have noted that negatives have the curious effect of opening up an alternative possibility: the student who insists that they didn’t forget to do the reading for class is at least responding to the accusation that they did forget. This function of negation is discussed as part of the Appraisal system elsewhere in this ebook.
