100 Examples of Negative Sentences in English

Negative sentences help you say that something is not true, does not happen, did not happen, or will not happen. These examples of negative sentences cover everyday conversation, school English, routines, actions, preferences, questions, and different verb tenses.

How to Form Negative Sentences

Negative sentences usually use not with a helping verb. The structure changes depending on the tense and the main verb.

Tense / Structure
Formula
Example
Present with be
Subject + am/is/are + not + complement
She is not tired.
Present Simple
Subject + do/does + not + base verb
He does not play tennis.
Past Simple
Subject + did + not + base verb
They did not go home.
Present Continuous
Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing
I am not sleeping.
Past Continuous
Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing
She was not working.
Present Perfect
Subject + have/has + not + past participle
We have not finished.
Past Perfect
Subject + had + not + past participle
He had not arrived.
Future Simple
Subject + will + not + base verb
I will not forget.
Can
Subject + cannot/can’t + base verb
She cannot swim.
Should
Subject + should not/shouldn’t + base verb
You shouldn’t worry.

Common negative forms:
isn’t, aren’t, don’t, doesn’t, didn’t, wasn’t, weren’t, hasn’t, haven’t, hadn’t, won’t, can’t, shouldn’t.

Structure of Negative Sentences with Examples
Structure of Negative Sentences with Examples

Examples of Negative Sentences

These negative sentence examples use common structures that learners hear and use every day. The sentences include not, never, no, nobody, nothing, neither, and other negative words.

  • I am not tired.
  • She is not at home.
  • He is not ready yet.
  • We are not late.
  • They are not busy today.
  • This is not my phone.
  • That answer is not correct.
  • My brother is not feeling well.
  • The children are not outside.
  • It is not cold today.
  • I do not like coffee.
  • She does not eat meat.
  • He does not play tennis.
  • We do not need more time.
  • They do not live here.
  • I do not understand this question.
  • My sister does not watch television.
  • The shop does not open on Sundays.
  • You do not have to wait for me.
  • He does not know my name.
  • I did not see him yesterday.
  • She did not call me last night.
  • We did not go to the market.
  • They did not finish their homework.
  • He did not answer the phone.
  • I did not hear the announcement.
  • She did not buy anything.
  • We did not take the bus.
  • You did not tell me about the meeting.
  • The teacher did not give us homework.
  • I cannot swim.
  • She cannot come today.
  • He cannot drive at night.
  • We cannot stay here.
  • They cannot hear you.
  • I will not forget your advice.
  • She will not attend the meeting.
  • He will not be late tomorrow.
  • We will not order dinner tonight.
  • They will not accept the offer.
  • I am not going to leave early.
  • She is not going to sell her car.
  • We are not going to travel this weekend.
  • He is not going to join us.
  • They are not going to change the plan.
  • I have not finished my work.
  • She has not arrived yet.
  • He has not eaten breakfast.
  • We have not seen that movie.
  • They have not received the message.
  • I had not met her before.
  • She had not heard the news.
  • We had not planned the trip.
  • He had not completed the task.
  • They had not visited the city before.
100 Examples of Negative Sentences in English
100 Negative Sentences in English

Negative Sentences with Be Verbs

Use am not, is not, and are not to make negative sentences with the verb be. These forms are common when talking about people, places, conditions, and situations.

  • I am not angry.
  • I am not ready for lunch.
  • He is not my teacher.
  • She is not available right now.
  • It is not your fault.
  • The food is not hot.
  • My room is not clean.
  • This book is not expensive.
  • We are not students.
  • We are not in the same class.
  • You are not alone.
  • They are not interested in the game.
  • The children are not asleep.
  • These shoes are not comfortable.
  • The buses are not available today.
100 Examples of Negative Sentences in English
Examples of Negative Sentences

Negative Sentences with Do and Does

Use do not or does not with most present simple verbs. In everyday speech, learners will often hear the contractions don’t and doesn’t.

  • I don’t drink tea at night.
  • I don’t remember his address.
  • You don’t need my permission.
  • We don’t have enough chairs.
  • They don’t speak French.
  • I don’t want to go outside.
  • You don’t look happy today.
  • We don’t watch sports very often.
  • They don’t understand the instructions.
  • He doesn’t like spicy food.
  • She doesn’t work on Fridays.
  • My father doesn’t use social media.
  • The bus doesn’t stop here.
  • This computer doesn’t work properly.
  • My friend doesn’t live nearby.

Negative Sentences with Did

Use did not or didn’t with the base form of the verb for negative sentences in the past simple.

  • I didn’t sleep well last night.
  • She didn’t come to school yesterday.
  • He didn’t bring his notebook.
  • We didn’t watch the match.
  • They didn’t find the address.
  • I didn’t recognize the person.
  • You didn’t make a mistake.
  • She didn’t send the email.
  • He didn’t lock the door.
  • We didn’t have enough money.
100 Examples of Negative Sentences in English
Negative Sentence Examples

Negative Sentences with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs such as can, could, should, must, and will can also form negative sentences. These structures are useful for ability, advice, rules, possibility, and future actions.

  • I can’t hear you.
  • She can’t drive a car.
  • He can’t solve this problem.
  • We can’t enter this room.
  • They can’t stay here overnight.
  • You shouldn’t skip breakfast.
  • He shouldn’t talk during the test.
  • We shouldn’t waste our time.
  • She shouldn’t worry about it.
  • You mustn’t touch that button.
  • Students mustn’t use phones during the exam.
  • I couldn’t open the door.
  • She couldn’t find her keys.
  • We couldn’t understand the speaker.
  • They won’t be here tonight.

Negative Sentences for Everyday Conversation

These examples focus on situations learners commonly face at home, at school, while shopping, and when talking with friends.

  • I don’t feel like eating right now.
  • I can’t talk at the moment.
  • I’m not free this evening.
  • I don’t have your number.
  • I haven’t seen your message.
  • I didn’t bring my wallet.
  • I don’t know where she lives.
  • I’m not sure about that.
  • I don’t think that’s a good idea.
  • I can’t find my glasses.
  • There isn’t any milk in the fridge.
  • There aren’t enough seats for everyone.
  • Nobody is answering the phone.
  • Nothing is wrong with the computer.
  • No one knows the answer.
  • I never wake up this early.
  • She never drinks coffee after dinner.
  • We never eat outside on weekdays.
  • He has never visited London.
  • They have never tried sushi.

Negative Sentences for School and Work

Negative sentences are also common when discussing assignments, schedules, meetings, rules, plans, and responsibilities.

  • I haven’t finished my assignment.
  • She hasn’t submitted her project.
  • He isn’t in the classroom.
  • We don’t have a test today.
  • They aren’t ready for the presentation.
  • The teacher isn’t here yet.
  • I didn’t understand the last question.
  • She doesn’t know the answer.
  • We can’t use our phones during the exam.
  • Students mustn’t leave the classroom without permission.
  • The meeting isn’t at ten o’clock.
  • He won’t attend the meeting today.
  • I haven’t received the report.
  • They didn’t complete the project on time.
  • We don’t have enough information yet.

List of Negative Words with Sentences

Negative words can make a sentence negative without always using not. Common examples include never, nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere, neither, and no.

  • I never lie to my parents.
  • She never misses her morning class.
  • Nobody called me yesterday.
  • No one was waiting outside.
  • Nothing happened after the meeting.
  • There is nothing in my bag.
  • We have nowhere to sit.
  • He has nowhere to go tonight.
  • Neither answer is correct.
  • Neither of them wants to leave.
  • There is no water in the bottle.
  • I have no money with me.
  • She has no idea about the plan.
  • We found no problems with the machine.
  • They made no noise during the test.
100 Examples of Negative Sentences in English
Negative Sentences in English PDF

Common Mistakes with Negative Sentences

Watch for these common errors when forming negative sentences in English.

  • ❌ I don’t likes coffee.
    ✅ I don’t like coffee.
  • ❌ She doesn’t goes to school on Sunday.
    ✅ She doesn’t go to school on Sunday.
  • ❌ I didn’t went there.
    ✅ I didn’t go there.
  • ❌ He is not understand me.
    ✅ He does not understand me.
  • ❌ I don’t have no money.
    ✅ I don’t have any money.

Practice Negative Sentences

Turn these positive sentences into negative sentences.

  • I like this movie.
  • She works here.
  • They are ready.
  • He plays football.
  • We went to the park.
  • I finished my homework.
  • She can drive.
  • They will come tomorrow.
  • He has eaten lunch.
  • We have enough time.

Answers:

  • I don’t like this movie.
  • She doesn’t work here.
  • They are not ready.
  • He doesn’t play football.
  • We didn’t go to the park.
  • I didn’t finish my homework.
  • She can’t drive.
  • They will not come tomorrow.
  • He has not eaten lunch.
  • We don’t have enough time.

FAQs

What Is a Negative Sentence?

A negative sentence states that something is not true, does not happen, did not happen, or will not happen.

What Are Some Examples of Negative Sentences?

Examples include “I am not ready,” “She doesn’t drive,” “We didn’t go,” and “They will not come tomorrow.”

What Words Are Used in Negative Sentences?

Common negative words include not, never, no, nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere, neither, don’t, doesn’t, didn’t, and cannot.

How Do You Make a Negative Sentence?

Use a negative helping verb such as do not, does not, did not, is not, are not, cannot, or will not.

What Is an Example of a Negative Sentence in the Present Tense?

“I don’t understand the question” is a negative present-tense sentence.

What Is an Example of a Negative Sentence in the Past Tense?

“She didn’t attend the meeting yesterday” is a negative sentence in the past simple tense.

What Is an Example of a Negative Sentence in the Future Tense?

“They will not travel next week” is a negative sentence in the future tense.

Can a Negative Sentence Use “Never” Instead of “Not”?

Yes. “I never eat breakfast late” is negative without using not, because never already expresses a negative idea.

Conclusion

These 100 examples of negative sentences show how negative forms work across everyday conversations, school situations, routines, past events, future plans, and common actions. Practice changing positive statements into negative sentences to build accuracy and confidence in everyday English.

Download Examples of Negative Sentences PDF

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Muhammad Matloob
Muhammad Matloob

Matloob is a U.S.-based English educator and language content creator who specializes in creating practical English-learning resources for students, teachers, and language learners. He is also the founder of Vocabish, where he develops educational content on grammar, vocabulary, phrasal verbs, commonly confused words, spoken English, and worksheets. His approach emphasizes clear explanations, accurate language use, real-life examples, and useful practice materials to make English easier to understand and apply with confidence.

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