Negation: Nouns & Pronouns for intermediate learners

negation negative pro-forms no

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?

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Negation of Nouns and Pronouns in the English Grammar

What Are Negative Nouns and Pronouns?

In English, we have some specific words that can be used to negate nouns and pronouns. In this lesson, we will learn all about them.

Negation with 'No'

'No' is a determiner. It can be used directly before nouns and change them into negative. Remember that the verb of the sentence must be affirmative. Take a look at the following examples:

There are no apples here.

There's no milk in the fridge.

Warning!

Please note that 'no' can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

We can also use 'no' in signs and notices. Study the following examples please:

No talking.

No entry.

No or Not a/an?

When we have gradable nouns, we can use both 'no' and 'not' with them. Check out the following examples:

Sheila is no genius. She is in fact an idiot. ( Or she is not a genius...)

However, when we have non-gradable nouns, we mainly use 'not'. Take a look at the following examples:

This is not an apple.

(Not this is no apple)

Negative Pronouns

In English, we have some indefinite pronouns that are negative. They are used with affirmative sentences. Take a look at the following list to get a glimpse of them:

Now, let us see how some of them are used in sentences:

Nobody is ever that busy.

Nowhere is this peaceful except for the beach.

Nothing is going to stop me.

Answering Questions with 'No'

We can also use 'no' alone to answer a question negatively when it is a yes/no question. Take a look at the following example:

A : Are you going anywhere?

B : No.

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?

Double Negations

Using a negative word with a negative verb is called a double negation. Is it OK to use double negation in English grammar? Let's find out!

Negative Markers

Negative markers are used to make sentences with a negative meaning. In this lesson, we will learn about them.

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