LoginNegative Pro-forms
Negative pro-forms are special function words that we use when we want to refer to the absence of people, things, or places.
What Are Negative Pro-forms?
Negative pro-forms are used when we want to refer to the absence (non-existence) of people, things, or places.
Negative Words
Tip!
There are some uncommon negative words that are rarely used. Here is the list:
- nowhence (adverb of source)
- nowhither (adverb of purpose)
- nowhen (adverb of time)
- nowise (adverb of manner)
Negative Words in Positive Statements
Negative Words in Positive Statements
Negative words are inherently negative, that is why they do not need another negative maker in a sentence. We use 'no one', 'nobody', 'nothing', and 'nowhere' with a singular verb. For example:
I knocked on the door but
I have
Negative Words in Negative Statements
Do not use another negative word such as 'not' with the negative pro-forms.
✗ didn't come. →
You shouldn't smoke nowhere
Negative Words: Number
We cannot use 'of' after 'nobody'. We use 'none of' when talking about a group of people. For example:
Nobody of them saw him. →
When we want to talk about two people, we use 'neither (of)'.
We use '
In informal English, a plural verb is often used after 'none of'.
None of us
Negative Pro-forms in Questions
We cannot use negative pro-forms in questions.
Is nobody
Does noone
Has he never
When we use 'nothing' and 'nobody', the sentence is positive, but the meaning of the statement is negative. So, we need to use positive question tags:
There's
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Assertive Pro-forms
Non-assertive Pro-forms
Universal Pro-forms
Alternative Pro-forms
