Making Questions and Negatives CREATED FOR THE WRITING

Making Questions and Negatives CREATED FOR THE WRITING CENTRE BY PROFESSOR DAVID CUTHILL

First, Making Questions

Group “A” is for… …Auxiliaries! That means helping verbs

Common Auxiliaries • Am, is, are, was, were (progressive tenses) • Has, have, had (perfect tenses) • Can, could, may, might, should, would, must, will, etc. (common modal verbs)

Auxiliary Verbs • To make a question when there is an auxiliary verb, reverse the order of the subject and the auxiliary verb

Examples She’s going to India. = Is she going to India? He can speak Hindi. = Can he speak Hindi? You were born in China. = Were you born in China? They’ve all said yes. = Have they all said yes?

Got it? Try these! Mr. Chen had arrived in Toronto. = He’s smiling at the teacher. = We’ve all been here before. = You could buy me a coffee. =

Answers Had Mr. Chen arrived in Toronto? Is he smiling at the teacher? Have we all been here before? Could you buy me a coffee?

Group “B” is for the… …Balance! That means all the other verbs, not in Group A.

Group “B” Verb To make a question when there is a group “B” verb, add do, does, or did. Reverse the order of the subject and auxiliary verb, and then use the main verb in its base form.

Examples of “B” Yi found another tutor. = Did Yi find another tutor? Peter and Ana like cooking. = Do Peter and Ana like cooking? Rania lives in Dundas. = Does Rania live in Dundas? You forgot to pay the rent = Did you forget to pay the rent?

Practice. Try these! She plays tennis often. = They love to go for walks on the Bruce Trail. = You wanted to be rich. = Teachers empower their students. = He spent a lot of money. =

The Answers Does she play …? Do they love to go …? Did you want …? Do teachers empower …? Did he spend …?

“A”: The Main Points So Far Group A is for verbs with auxiliaries, or helping verbs. To make questions, reverse the order of subject and helping verb. You have been to Limeridge Mall = Have you been to Limeridge Mall?

“B”: The Main Points So Far Group B is for the balance, all other verbs. To make questions, add do, does, or did Reverse the order of subject and auxiliary verb, and then use the main verb in its base form She liked Canada at first = Did she like Canada at first?

Now, Making Negatives!

Group “A”: Auxiliaries To make a negative… Add Not or N’T after the auxiliary/helping verb

Group “A” Examples for Negatives She’s lived here for two years. = She hasn’t lived here for two years. That child will be a movie star when she grows up. = That child won’t (will not) be a movie star when she grows up. We’re going to class. = We aren’t going to class. You may leave the room. = You may not leave the room.

More Practice. Try these! You should try to please your parents. = They have taken the wrong bus. = We will go to the party. = You were playing baseball. = I would be really careful. =

Answers for Group “A” Negatives You shouldn’t try …. They haven’t taken …. We won’t go …. You weren’t playing … I wouldn’t be really careful ….

Group “B” Balance Negatives To make a negative… Add doesn’t, don’t or didn’t and then use the main verb in its base form

Examples of “B” Negatives He loves playing cards. = He doesn’t love playing cards. They wanted to go to the USA last year. = They didn’t want to go to the USA last year. I meet her in the park. = I don’t meet her in the park. You gave her a diamond. = You didn’t give her a diamond.

Got it? Now Practice He loved to play the guitar. = She enjoys playing computer games. = He ate a lot of fruit. = They attend classes often. = You sleep during tests. =

Answers to “B” Negative Practice He didn’t love to play the guitar. She doesn’t enjoy playing computer games. He didn’t eat a lot of fruit. They don’t attend classes often. You don’t sleep during tests.

So Now You Know… To make correct questions and negatives, remember Group A and Group B Examples: • Have you smelled that flower yet? Remember: the verb have, has and • I haven’t seen the teacher. had is an auxiliary and a main verb • The snow hasn’t stopped. When have, has or has is an auxiliary, • Hadn’t you applied to the use it like all the other Group A verbs College before?

Main Verbs But if have, has or had is a main verb, use it like a Group B verb: • Do they really have true love? • She doesn’t have any ability in Mathematics. • Did you have any serious illnesses when you were a child? • We don’t have to do this assignment if we don’t want to.