Negation: Nouns & Pronouns
In this lesson, we will learn about negative structures with nouns and pronouns. Do we have negative pronouns? How can we make a negative noun?
What Are Negative Nouns and Pronouns?
There are some words that can negate a noun and there are some pronouns that can negate a sentence. In this lesson, you will learn all the structures.
Negation with 'No'
'No' and 'none of' are determiners. We use them directly before nouns to indicate negation. Have a look at the examples:
There were
There's
In signs and notices, 'no' usually comes before gerunds to show that something is not allowed. For example:
Negation with 'None of'
Just like 'no,' 'none of' acts as a determiner. It is used before 'the', demonstratives ('this' and 'that'), possessives, and pronouns. When we use 'none of' in the sentence, we should not use a negative verb. Pay attention to the examples:
Don't believe what they're saying.
Warning
Do not use 'none' directly before nouns. Either use 'none' on its own (as a pronoun) or use 'none of' + noun.
Do not say: None students in her class...
Negative Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns (those created by the prefix 'no-') can negate a sentence. They do not need a negative verb. The most common ones are:
No or Not Any?
'No' and 'not any' have similar meanings. Their difference lies in their usage in sentences.
'No' is used with affirmative verbs and 'any' is used with the verb in negative form. Take a look at the examples:
There
There
negation with the word 'no'
Tip
'No' is more formal and stronger. In spoken English, 'no' is often pronounced with stress.
No or Not a/an?
You can not use 'no' with nouns that have ungradable meanings.
By 'ungradable meaning', we mean nouns that are either something or another. They don't have a comparative meaning.
A carrot is
Do not say: A carrot is no fruit.
A turtle is
With nouns that have gradable meanings, you can use both 'no' and 'not'. They mean the same.
Mike is
'Idiot' is gradable. Someone can be more of an idiot than someone else.
Answering a Question with 'No'
We often use 'no' to answer a yes-no question, or to agree with a negative statement. Do not use 'not' in these cases.
Common Expressions with No
We use 'no' in some common fixed expressions such as:
- no way
- no chance
- no good
- no idea
- no problem
-'Can you help me carry this bag?' +'
-'Do you think she'll agree?' +'
Review
There are two ways to make a sentence negative. One is to add not to the verb and the other is to add some terms to the noun or pronoun that imply negative meaning and therefore negate the whole sentence.
The terms are:
No:
None of:
Nobody:
No one:
None:
"How many shots have you had?" "I had
Nothing:
Nowhere:
They had
Comments
You might also like
Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences are complex sentences that have a meaning we can express by a simple sentence. They are used to emphasize one part of a clause. Let's see.
Negation
Negation is the act of making a term, phrase, or clause negative or opposite. In this article, you will learn how to make negations.
Negation: Verbs & Clauses
Negation is the process that turns an affirmative statement into a negative one. In this lesson, we will learn about ways of creating negative sentences.
Negation: Adverbs
In this lesson, we will learn about negative structures with adverbs. Do we have negative adverbs?
