Affirmative to Negative

Affirmative to Negative

Most often we need to change affirmative sentences into negative for stylistic or rhetorical reasons.

Affirmative to Negative

Negative to Affirmative

Rules at a Glance

Foolish Assumptions

We make some inescapable assumptions about you and your knowledge, including the following:

✦ You know what affirmative sentences and negative sentences are. 

✦ You know how negative sentences are formed and where the negative words used in sentences.

 ✦ You know the difference between transformation of sentences and conversion of sentences.

There is something for everyone in this article. However, if you consider yourself an elementary level learner, you had better read these lessons first then go through the following.

There are two ways of changing affirmative sentences into negatives:

Transformation of Sentences: Transformation of sentences refers to changing the form or structure of a sentence without altering its meaning.

Conversion of Sentences: Conversion of sentences involves changing the grammatical form of a sentence without considering the change of meaning.

Today's lesson deals with changing affirmative sentences into negative without altering its meaning. 

Affirmative to Negative

To transform sentences from affirmative to negative, we use negative words or expressions like "not", "no", "none", "nothing", "nobody", "nowhere", "never", "nor", "neither----nor", "no sooner----than", etc. 

Remember that the specific negative word or expression you choose depends on the context and the nature of the original affirmative sentence. The goal is to make the affirmative sentences negative without changing the meaning.

1. Using 'Not' & Antonym

To make an affirmative sentence negative, we put 'not' after the auxiliary verb. If the meaning of the sentence changes, we use 'antonym' (opposite word) of one or more words. 

Affirmative: He is wise.

Negative: He is not unwise.

Affirmative: They are active.

Negative: They are not inactive.

2. Only + Person

When ‘only’ modifies a person, we use 'none but' to make the sentence negative.

Affirmative: Only the brave deserve praise.

Negative: None but the brave deserve praise.

Affirmative: Only the graduates should apply.

Negative: None but the graduates should apply.

3. Only + Thing

When ‘only’ modifies thing, we use 'nothing but', to make the sentence negative. 

Affirmative: Only the moon was visible.

Negative: Nothing but the moon was visible.

Affirmative: The writer ate only mutton.

Negative: The writer ate nothing but mutton.

4. Only + Number

When ‘only’ indicates number, we use 'not more than', to make the sentence negative. 

Affirmative: I need only 100 taka.

Negative: I need not more than 10 taka.

Affirmative: She is only 5 years old.

Negative: She is not more than 5 years old.

5. Alone

When ‘alone’ modifies a person, we use 'none but' before that person. 

Affirmative: God alone can help us.

Negative: None but God can help us.

Affirmative: The old man was alone alive.

Negative: None but the old man was alive.

6. Must/Have to

If the sentence has the word ‘must / have to’ we use 'cannot but'. 

Affirmative: I must do it now.

Negative: I cannot but do it now.

Affirmative: He had to follow my order.

Negative: He could not but follow my order.

7. Every

If the sentence has the word ‘every + noun’ we write ‘there is no’ before the noun and ‘but’ after the noun. 

Affirmative: Every mother loves her child.

Negative: There is no mother but loves her child.

Affirmative: Every man likes flowers.

Negative: There is no man but likes flowers.

8. Both-----And

‘both……and’ is replaced with ‘not only……..but also’.

Affirmative: Both you and your brothers are guilty.

Negative: Not only you but also your brothers are guilty.

Affirmative: I like both reading and writing.

Negative: I like not only reading but also writing.

9. As soon as

‘as soon as’ is replaced with ‘no sooner……..than’. 

Affirmative: As soon as he saw me, he acted crazy.

Negative: No sooner had he seen me than he acted crazy.

Affirmative: As soon as he reached home, it began to rain.

Negative: No sooner had he reached home than it began to rain.

10. ‘too + adjective + to’

'Too + adjective + to' is replaced with ‘so + adjective + that’. 

Affirmative: The man is too weak to walk.

Negative: The man is so weak that he cannot walk.

Affirmative: He is too lazy to work hard.

Negative: He is so lazy that he cannot work hard.

11. Degree of Comparison

Changing the degree of comparison. 

Affirmative: Kitty is older than Hans.

Negative: Hans is not as old as Kitty.

Affirmative: Cathy is the best girl of the class.

Negative: No other girl of the class is as good as Cathy.

12. Conditional Sentences

For conditional sentences beginning with if; we make both the clauses negative or replace the ‘if ‘with ‘unless’ and make the other clause negative. 

Affirmative: If you work hard, you will prosper in life.

Negative: If you do not work hard, you will not prosper in life. / Unless you work hard, you will not prosper in life.

13. Negative Interrogative

Affirmative: The earth is round.

Negative: Isn’t the earth round?

Affirmative: Knowledge is power.

Negative: Isn’t knowledge power?

Negative to Affirmative

To change a negative sentence into affirmative without changing the meaning, we generally follow these rules:

Identify the Negative Words: Negative words are "not," "no," "none," "nobody," "nothing," "nowhere," etc. Identify these words in the negative sentence.

Remove the Negative Word: Simply remove the negative word from the sentence.

Adjust Auxiliary Verbs: In English, auxiliary verbs are often used with negative sentences. Adjust the auxiliary verb as needed to make the sentence affirmative.

Maintain Verb Tense: Ensure that the tense remains the same after removing the negative word. For example, if the negative sentence is in the present simple tense, keep the present simple tense in the affirmative form.

Consider Context: Pay attention to the overall context of the sentence to ensure that the meaning remains unchanged.

Example:

Negative: "I have never been absent in my school."

Affirmative: "I have always been present in my school."

Negative: "She does not like chocolate."

Affirmative: "She dislikes chocolate."

Exercise

Transform the following affirmative sentences into negative without changing the meaning.

1. Using ‘Not’ & Antonym

(i) Man is mortal.

(ii) The crow is an ugly bird.

(iii) God is good.

(iv) I shall remember you.

(v) He speaks the truth.

(vi) He is an active person.

(vii) She is always late.

(viii) The man was wise.

(ix) All men like her.

(x) All students will remain present today.

(xi) They all are equal.

(xii) I always remember you. 

(xiii) I will be ever loyal to my country. 

(xiv) Her parents always liked her. 

(xv) All Bangladeshis are polite. 

(xvi) Everybody must die.

(xvii) All must submit to destiny.

(xviii) Stay with me, please.

(xix) The police punished the thief. 

2. Only +  Person

(i) Only Allah can help us.

(ii) Only Heaven knows what is in our store.

(iii) Only Allah can save us.    

(iv) Only the brave deserve praise.       

(v) Only the graduates should apply.    

(vi) Only the brave deserve the fair. 

3. Only + Thing

(i) Only the moon was visible.  

(ii) The writer ate only mutton.

4. Only +  Number

(i) I need only 100 taka.

(ii) She is only 5 years old.

(iii) She got only fifty marks in English.

5. Alone

(i) God alone can help us.

(ii) The old man was alone alive.

(iii) Ruplal alone lived in the jungle.

(iv) Ali was alone in the field.

(v) Allah alone can save us. 

6. Must/ Have to

(i) I must do it now.

(ii) We have to do our duty.

(iii) He had to follow my order.

7. Every

(i) Every mother loves her child.

(ii) Every man likes flowers.

(iii) Every teacher loves his students. 

(iv) Everybody lives in society. 

(v) Everybody must die. 

07. Every

(i) Every rose has thorns. 

(ii) Every king has a crown. 

(iii) Every king has a crown. 

(iv) Every rose has thorn. 

8. Both …. and

(i) Both you and your brothers are guilty.    

(ii) I like both reading and writing.

9. As soon as

(i) As soon as he saw me, he acted crazy.

(ii) As soon as he reached home, it began to rain.  

(iii) As soon as he left home, the rain started. 

(iv) As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away. 

10. Too + adjective + to

(i) The man is too weak to walk.

(ii) He is too lazy to work hard.

11. Degree of Comparison

(i) Dhaka is older than Khulna.

(ii) Eti is the best girl of the class.

12. Conditional Sentences

(i) If you work hard, you will prosper in life.

(ii) Unless you work hard, you will not prosper in life.

13. Negative Interrogative 

(i) The earth is round.

(ii) Knowledge is power.

(iii) Health is wealth.

Negative to Affirmative

Transform the following negative sentences into affirmative without changing the meaning.

(i) None but Allah can help us.

(ii) None but a fool will say so.

(iii) Never tell a lie. Jim was never late.

(iv) You cannot help going there.

(v) I cannot but shed tears at the sight.

(vi) All cannot but submit to destiny.

(vii) No sooner had I reached the college than the bell rang.

(viii) No sooner had he come than the meeting began.

(ix) There is no mother but loves her child.

(x) No one will deny his courage.

(xi) The boy was not unlike his father.

(xii) I shall never be ungrateful to you.

(xiii) A good boy never neglects his lesson.

(xiv) There is no rose without a thorn.

(xv) There is no cloud without a silver lining. I never disagreed with him.

(xvi) This did not please me.

(xvii) The old sailor was not kind.

(xviii) Jim was not solvent. Never tell a lie.

(xix) Nothing but the book is found.

(xx) No one could deny that she was pretty.

(xxi) I shall never forget him.

(xxii) There is no man but loves his country.

(xxiii) Man cannot help obeying some social rules.

(xxiv) Their problem was so difficult that we could not solve.

(xxv) The problem is so difficult that we can't solve it.

(xxvi) No sooner had he seen the bear than he ran away.

(xxvii) No sooner had he seen the police than he ran away.

Answer Sheet

1. Using ‘Not’ & Antonym

Affirmative: Man is mortal.

Negative: Man is not immortal.

Affirmative: The crow is an ugly bird.

Negative: The crow is not a beautiful bird.

Affirmative: God is good.

Negative: God is not bad.

Affirmative: I shall remember you.

Negative: I shall not forget you.

Affirmative: He speaks the truth.

Negative: He does not tell a lie.

Affirmative: He is an active person.

Negative: He is not a passive person.

Affirmative: She is always late.

Negative: She is never early.

Affirmative: The man was wise.

Negative: The man was not unwise.

Affirmative: All men like her.

Negative: No man dislikes her.

Affirmative:  All students will remain present today.

Negative: No student will remain absent today.

Affirmative: They all are equal.

Negative: They are not unequal.

Affirmative: I always remember you.

Negative: I never forget you.

Affirmative: I will be ever loyal to my country.

Negative: I will never be disloyal to my country.

Affirmative: Her parents always liked her.

Negative: Her parents never disliked her.

Affirmative: All Bangladeshis are polite.

Negative: No Bangladeshi is impolite.

Affirmative:  Everybody must die.

Negative:  None can escape death.

Affirmative:  All must submit to destiny.

Negative: None can escape from his destiny.

Affirmative: Stay with me, please.

Negative: Don’t leave me, please.

Affirmative: The police punished the thief.

Negative: The police did not spare the thief.

2. Only +  Person

Affirmative:  Only Allah can help us.

Negative:  None but Allah can help us.

Affirmative:  Only Heaven knows what is in our store.

Negative:  None but Heaven knows what is in our store.

Affirmative:  Only Allah can save us.

Negative:  None but Allah can save us.

Affirmative:  Only the brave deserve praise.

Negative:  None but the brave deserve praise.  

Affirmative:  Only the graduates should apply.

Negative:  None but the graduates should apply.

Affirmative:  Only the brave deserve the fair.

Negative:  None but the brave deserve the fair.

3. Only + Thing

Affirmative:  Only the moon was visible.

Negative:  Nothing but the moon was visible.

Affirmative:  The writer ate only mutton.

Negative:  The writer ate nothing but mutton.

4. Only +  Number

Affirmative:  I need only 100 taka.

Negative:  I need not more than 10 taka.

Affirmative:  She is only 5 years old.

Negative:  She is not more than 5 years old.

Affirmative:  She got only fifty marks in English.

Negative:  She got not more than fifty marks in English

.5. Alone

Affirmative:  God alone can help us.

Negative:  None but God can help us.

Affirmative:  The old man was alone alive.

Negative:  None but the old man was alive.

Affirmative:  Ruplal alone lived in the jungle.

Negative: None but Ruplal lived in the jungle.

Affirmative:  Ali was alone in the field.

Negative: None but Ali was in the field.

Affirmative: Allah alone can save us.

Negative: None but Allah can save us.

6. Must/ Have to

Affirmative:  I must do it now.

Negative:  I cannot but do it now.

Affirmative:  We have to do our duty.

Negative:  We cannot but do our duty.

Affirmative:  He had to follow my order.

Negative:  He could not but follow my order.

7. Every

Affirmative: Every mother loves her child.

Negative: There is no mother but loves her child.

Affirmative: Every man likes flowers.

Negative: There is no man but likes flowers.

Affirmative: Every teacher loves his students.

Negative: There is no teacher but loves his students.

Affirmative: Everybody lives in society.

Negative: Nobody lives alone.

Affirmative: Everybody must die.

Negative: None can escape death.

07. Every

Affirmative: Every rose has thorns.

Negative: There is no rose without thorns.

Affirmative: Every king has a crown.

Negative: There is no king without a crown.

Affirmative: Every king has a crown.

Negative: There is no king without a crown.

Affirmative: Every rose has thorn.

Negative: There is no rose without thorn.

8. Both …. and

Affirmative: Both you and your brothers are guilty.

Negative: Not only you but also your brothers are guilty.

Affirmative: I like both reading and writing.

Negative: I like not only reading but also writing.

9. As soon as

Affirmative: As soon as he saw me, he acted crazy.

Negative: No sooner had he seen me than he acted crazy.

Affirmative: As soon as he reached home, it began to rain.

Negative: No sooner had he reached home than it began to rain.

Affirmative: As soon as he left home, the rain started.

Negative: No sooner had he left home than the rain started.

Affirmative: As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.

Negative: No sooner had the thief seen the police than he ran away.

10. Too + adjective + to

Affirmative: The man is too weak to walk.

Negative: The man is so weak that he cannot walk.

Affirmative: He is too lazy to work hard.

Negative: He is so lazy that he cannot work hard.