100+ Negative Sentence Examples in English | Structure & Usage

Negative sentences are used to express that something is not true or did not happen. They often include words like not, never, no, none, or nothing. Mastering negative sentences helps you communicate clearly in both spoken and written English.

In this guide, you’ll find over 100 negative sentence examples across various tenses and sentence structures, all formatted in an easy-to-read table.

✅ Definition:

❓ What Is a Negative Sentence?

A negative sentence is one that states something is not true or is the opposite of an affirmative (positive) statement. It usually contains a negative word such as not, never, no one, or nothing.

Examples:

Positive: She is happy.
Negative: She is not happy.

Here is a table with 100+ Negative Sentence Examples organized by tense and sentence type for clarity:

#	Tense/Type	Positive Sentence	Negative Sentence
1	Simple Present	I play football.	I do not play football.
2	Simple Present	She drinks tea.	She does not drink tea.
3	Simple Present	They work every day.	They do not work every day.
4	Simple Present	We study English.	We do not study English.
5	Simple Present	He watches TV.	He does not watch TV.
6	Simple Present	You go to school.	You do not go to school.
7	Simple Present	The cat sleeps on the bed.	The cat does not sleep on the bed.
8	Simple Present	I understand the lesson.	I do not understand the lesson.
9	Simple Present	They like music.	They do not like music.
10	Simple Present	She speaks Spanish.	She does not speak Spanish.
11	Present Continuous	I am writing a letter.	I am not writing a letter.
12	Present Continuous	She is cooking dinner.	She is not cooking dinner.
13	Present Continuous	They are running fast.	They are not running fast.
14	Present Continuous	He is studying.	He is not studying.
15	Present Continuous	We are watching a movie.	We are not watching a movie.
16	Present Continuous	The kids are playing outside.	The kids are not playing outside.
17	Present Continuous	You are learning English.	You are not learning English.
18	Present Continuous	I am walking to school.	I am not walking to school.
19	Present Continuous	She is listening to music.	She is not listening to music.
20	Present Continuous	They are cleaning the room.	They are not cleaning the room.
21	Simple Past	I went to the market.	I did not go to the market.
22	Simple Past	He bought a new car.	He did not buy a new car.
23	Simple Past	She studied all night.	She did not study all night.
24	Simple Past	They played cricket.	They did not play cricket.
25	Simple Past	We watched a film.	We did not watch a film.
26	Simple Past	You told the truth.	You did not tell the truth.
27	Simple Past	He ran very fast.	He did not run very fast.
28	Simple Past	I heard a noise.	I did not hear a noise.
29	Simple Past	She saw the bird.	She did not see the bird.
30	Simple Past	We enjoyed the party.	We did not enjoy the party.
31	Past Continuous	I was reading a book.	I was not reading a book.
32	Past Continuous	She was sleeping.	She was not sleeping.
33	Past Continuous	They were playing football.	They were not playing football.
34	Past Continuous	He was working late.	He was not working late.
35	Past Continuous	We were waiting for the bus.	We were not waiting for the bus.
36	Past Continuous	The dog was barking.	The dog was not barking.
37	Past Continuous	You were singing.	You were not singing.
38	Past Continuous	She was drawing.	She was not drawing.
39	Past Continuous	I was talking to him.	I was not talking to him.
40	Past Continuous	They were studying for the test.	They were not studying for the test.
41	Present Perfect	I have finished my work.	I have not finished my work.
42	Present Perfect	She has eaten lunch.	She has not eaten lunch.
43	Present Perfect	They have arrived.	They have not arrived.
44	Present Perfect	He has completed the task.	He has not completed the task.
45	Present Perfect	We have visited Paris.	We have not visited Paris.
46	Present Perfect	You have done your homework.	You have not done your homework.
47	Present Perfect	She has cleaned the room.	She has not cleaned the room.
48	Present Perfect	I have heard the news.	I have not heard the news.
49	Present Perfect	They have built a house.	They have not built a house.
50	Present Perfect	He has called his friend.	He has not called his friend.

Negative Sentence Examples– last 50

#	Tense/Type	Positive Sentence	Negative Sentence
51	Past Perfect	I had seen that movie.	I had not seen that movie.
52	Past Perfect	She had finished her homework.	She had not finished her homework.
53	Past Perfect	They had arrived on time.	They had not arrived on time.
54	Past Perfect	We had completed the project.	We had not completed the project.
55	Past Perfect	He had eaten lunch.	He had not eaten lunch.
56	Past Perfect	You had met her before.	You had not met her before.
57	Past Perfect	She had written the letter.	She had not written the letter.
58	Past Perfect	I had heard the news.	I had not heard the news.
59	Past Perfect	They had opened the store.	They had not opened the store.
60	Past Perfect	We had booked the tickets.	We had not booked the tickets.
61	Future Simple	I will help you.	I will not help you.
62	Future Simple	She will come tomorrow.	She will not come tomorrow.
63	Future Simple	They will join us later.	They will not join us later.
64	Future Simple	He will buy a car.	He will not buy a car.
65	Future Simple	We will attend the meeting.	We will not attend the meeting.
66	Future Simple	You will pass the test.	You will not pass the test.
67	Future Simple	The sun will shine.	The sun will not shine.
68	Future Simple	She will call you.	She will not call you.
69	Future Simple	I will visit my grandma.	I will not visit my grandma.
70	Future Simple	They will win the game.	They will not win the game.
71	Modals	I can swim.	I cannot swim.
72	Modals	She could speak French.	She could not speak French.
73	Modals	They may come to the party.	They may not come to the party.
74	Modals	You should try again.	You should not try again.
75	Modals	He must obey the rules.	He must not obey the rules.
76	Modals	We might go out later.	We might not go out later.
77	Modals	She would help us.	She would not help us.
78	Modals	I shall return tomorrow.	I shall not return tomorrow.
79	Modals	You ought to speak the truth.	You ought not to speak the truth.
80	Modals	They dare to speak.	They dare not speak.
81	Commands	Do your homework.	Don’t do your homework.
82	Commands	Open the door.	Don’t open the door.
83	Commands	Be quiet.	Don’t be loud.
84	Commands	Speak clearly.	Don’t speak unclearly.
85	Commands	Take the test.	Don’t take the test.
86	Interrogative	Do you like coffee?	Don’t you like coffee?
87	Interrogative	Is he coming?	Isn’t he coming?
88	Interrogative	Have they left?	Haven’t they left?
89	Interrogative	Can she drive?	Can’t she drive?
90	Interrogative	Did he call you?	Didn’t he call you?
91	Other	Everybody was present.	Nobody was present.
92	Other	He always smiles.	He never smiles.
93	Other	She often helps me.	She rarely helps me.
94	Other	They found anything.	They found nothing.
95	Other	I agree with you.	I don’t agree with you.
96	Other	He likes spicy food.	He doesn’t like spicy food.
97	Other	We understand the topic.	We don’t understand the topic.
98	Other	You finished the work.	You didn’t finish the work.
99	Other	She trusts him.	She doesn’t trust him.
100	Other	They believed the news.	They didn’t believe the news.
101	Other	I know the answer.	I don’t know the answer.
102	Other	You saw the sign.	You didn’t see the sign.

📝 Note for Students:

Understanding how to form negative sentences correctly is essential for expressing denial, disagreement, or non-existence. Practice converting positive statements into negative ones to build fluency and confidence in English grammar.

📚 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Negative Sentence Examples

Q1: What is a negative sentence?

A negative sentence is a sentence that states something is not true or denies a statement. It usually contains words like “not,” “never,” “no,” or negative contractions like “don’t,” “isn’t,” or “didn’t.”

Q2: What are common negative words used in English?

Common negative words include:

not
never
no
nobody
nothing
nowhere
neither
don’t, doesn’t, didn’t
can’t, couldn’t
won’t, wouldn’t
shouldn’t, wouldn’t, mustn’t

Q3: What is the structure of a negative sentence?

The typical structure is:
Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb + object
Example: She does not like apples.

Q4: Can imperative sentences be negative?

Yes. Imperatives can be made negative by adding “don’t” before the verb.
Example: Don’t touch that!

Q5: Are negative sentences used in all tenses?

Yes, negative sentences exist in all tenses (present, past, future, perfect tenses, etc.).

Q6: How can I turn a positive sentence into a negative one?

Add the word not after the helping (auxiliary) verb or use negative contractions.
Example:
Positive: He is coming.
Negative: He is not coming.

Q7: What is a double negative, and is it correct?

A double negative uses two negative words in the same sentence. In standard English, this is generally considered incorrect or nonstandard because it creates confusion.
Example of double negative: I don’t know nothing.
Correct form: I don’t know anything.

Q8: What are some examples of negative questions?

Don’t you like pizza?
Isn’t she your friend?
Didn’t they call you?

Q9: Can we use “never” instead of “not”?

Yes, but the meaning slightly changes.

I did not go to the party. (Simply states the action didn’t happen)
I never go to parties. (Means at no time ever)

Q10: Why are negative sentences important in communication?

They allow you to deny, reject, or clarify facts and are essential for expressing disagreement, preferences, or instructions clearly.

✅ Conclusion

Negative sentences are a fundamental part of English communication. Whether you’re denying facts, expressing preferences, or talking about the past, knowing how to form negatives clearly makes your speech and writing more effective. Use the examples above to strengthen your grammar skills and enhance your accuracy.