Changing affirmative to negative without changing

the meaning
We can change affirmative sentences to negative sentences in two ways

a) By adding ‘not’ to the auxiliary. However, this will change the

meaning of the sentence from positive to negative.

1) All the students liked the program. (Affirmative)

All the students didn’t like the program. (Negative)

2) Chennai is hotter than Mumbai. (Affirmative)

Chennai isn’t hotter than Mumbai. (Negative)

3) James runs faster than Peter. (Affirmative)

James doesn’t run faster than Peter. (Negative)

4) James can write faster than me. (Affirmative)

James can’t write faster than me. (Negative)

b) Without changing the meaning of the original sentence.

Study the example given below.

1) All the students liked the program. (Affirmative) /

None of the students disliked the program. (Negative) / No student disliked the program. (Negative)

2) Chennai is hotter than Mumbai. (Affirmative) / Mumbai is not as hot as Chennai. (Negative)

3) The scorpion is shyer than other wall inhabitants. (Affirmative) / No other wall inhabitant is as shy
as the scorpion. (Negative)

4) The farmer was too weak to walk. (Affirmative) / The farmer was so weak that he could not walk.
(Negative)

5) He is always on time. (Affirmative) / He is never late. (Negative)

6) James runs faster than Peter. (Affirmative) / Peter does not run as fast as James. (Negative)
7) The water is too cold for me to drink. (Affirmative) / The water is so cold that I cannot drink it.
(Negative

8) James can write faster than me. (Affirmative) / I cannot write as fast as James. (Negative)

9) Everyone found the play interesting. (Affirmative) / No one found the play uninteresting. (Negative)

10) This medicine is cheap. (Affirmative) / This medicine is not expensive. (Negative)

11) Iron is a heavy metal. (Affirmative) / Iron is not a light metal. (Negative)

12) Rahim is the tallest boy in the class. (Affirmative) / No other boy in the class is as tall as Rahim
(Negative)

Affirmative to Negative Sentence Transformation Rules

Affirmative Negative
Sr.
Sentence Sentence Rule Example
no
structure structure

Subject Subject +
+always + never
verb + ext. opposite verb
+ ext.
OR Affirmative:-He always fasted on Monday.
OR If there is always in an affirmative sentence,
Subject + never will be used for ever/always in negative He was always punctual in his duty.
1 auxiliary verb Subject + sentence and verb /adjective/adverb will be Negative:- He never ate on Monday.
+ always + auxiliary verb opposite meaning.
verb/ + never + He was never late for his duty.
adjective/ opposite
adverb + ext. verb/
adjective/
adverb + ext.

Subject +
Subject + If there is present tense before too, ‘can’ will Affirmative:-He is too weak to walk.
verb + so +
verb + too + adjective + be used after that and if there is past
tense before too, ‘could’ will be used It is too heavy for me to carry.
2 adjective + to that + subject
+ verb + ext. + can/ could after that. Again when there is for + noun/ Negative:- He is so weak that he cannot walk.
pronoun after too+ adjective, the noun/
+ not + verb It is so heavy that I cannot carry it.
pronoun after for will be the subject after that.
+ ext.

Subject + Subject +
verb + as + auxiliary verb
adjective + + not + less In negative sentence as -as is replaced by not Affirmative:-He is as wise as his brother.
3 as + noun/ + adjective + less-than. Negative:- He is not less wise than his brother.
pronoun. than + noun/
pronoun.
 Subject + In order to change an affirmative sentence
Subject +
auxiliary verb having an auxiliary verb with a verb/ adjective/
auxiliary verb
+ not + adverb into a negative sentence, we should Affirmative:- I shall remember you.
4 + verb/
opposite verb add not after the auxiliary verb and use the Negative:-I shall not forget you.
adjective/
/ adjective / opposite meaning of verb/ adjective/ adverb in
adverb + ext.
adverb + ext. negative sentence.

If there is no auxiliary verb in an affirmative

Subject + sentence, to do verb will be used as auxiliary
Subject + auxiliary verb verb to make it a negative sentence. After to Affirmative:-She remembered me.
5 verb + ext. do + not + do verb ,not will be added and the opposite
opposite verb meaning of verb will used there. This to do Negative:-She did not forget me
+ ext. verb will be according to the tense of the verb
of affirmative sentence.

Subject +
cannot but +
For making a negative sentence from an
Subject + verb + ext.
affirmative sentence having must, we have to Affirmative:- We must read attentively.
must + verb or use cannot but/cannot help for must. In this
6 + ext. Negative:-We cannot but read attentively.
case, basic form of verb will be used after
Subject +
cannot but and present participle (verb-ing) We cannot help reading attentively.
cannot help
will be used after cannot help.
+ verb-ing +
ext

Every + To change an affirmative sentence having

noun/ body/ There is no + Affirmative:-Everybody hates a liar.
every + noun/ body/ one into a negative
one + verb + noun/ body/
7 sentence, we can use there is no for every, Negative:-There is no body but
ext. one + but +
then we have to put the word after every and
verb + ext hates a liar.
next we should use but before verb+ ext.

As soon as + No sooner
subject + had + subject
verb (past), + verb(past To change an affirmative sentence having as Affirmative:-As soon as he arrived, the rain started.
subject + participle) + soon as with two clauses, no sooner had will
8 Negative:- No sooner had he arrived than
verb(past) + than + be used for as soon as in negative sentence.
ext. subject + than must be used between the two clauses. the rain started.
verb(past) +
ext.

Here only is used before a person, but alone

Only + is used after the person word and auxiliary Affirmative:- Only Allah can help us.
subject + None but + verb. For changing an affirmative sentence Negative:- None but Allah can help us.
9 verb + ext. subject + into a negative sentence where only is before
verb + ext. a person or alone is after the person and
auxiliary verb, we have to start the negative
sentence with none but for only/alone.

Subject +
auxiliary verb None but + It will be applied when the subjective word is a
Affirmative:- He was alone alive in the house.
10 + alone + subject +
person word i.e he/ she/ I/ you/ they/ we/ any
ext. auxiliary verb Negative:- None but he was alive in the house.
proper noun.
+ ext.

11 Only + Nothing but + when only is used before an object/thing, Affirmative:- Only the monsoon causes rain
 subject + subject +
verb + ext. verb + ext. nothing but will be put there to make a
in our country.
negative sentence from an affirmative
OR OR sentence .
Subject + Subject + nothing but is used in negative sentence for Negative:- Nothing but the monsoon causes rain
verb + only + verb + only when there is an object/thing after only in
object + ext. nothing but + in our country.
affirmative sentence.
object + ext.

Subject + Subject +
verb + only + verb + not
when only is used before number/ age ,not Affirmative:- I am only 20.
number/age more / less
12 more / less than will be used in negative
+ ext. than + Negative:- I am not more/less than 20.
sentence for only in affirmative sentence.
number/age
+ ext.