Why use Negative Questions?

gl

 Subjects-Verb Agreement

Negative Questions

Why do we use a negative question?

Negative Questions are asked in order to check or confirm information about someone or something.

Example: Isn’t Garry coming to the party today?

The speaker knows that Garry is coming to the party today, but he has not seen him around and is trying to confirm this by asking his friend.

Positive Questions are asked when the answer is not known

Is Garry coming to the party today?

The speaker does not know whether or not Garry is coming to the party today.

  1. We form Negative Questions by adding “n’t” (meaning not) to the verb “to be” in positive questions.

Example:

Is he the coach from the football team?

Isn’t he the coach from the football team?

 

  1. We form Negative Questions with most verbs by changing the verb to its base form and adding “n’t” to the verb “to do” before the subject.

Example:

  1. Sarah looks lovely tonight.

Doesn’t Sarah look lovely tonight?

  1. You knew about Aunt Betty’s illness.

Didn’t you know about Aunt Betty’s illness?

  1. We form Negative Questions by placing the first auxiliary verb in the sentence before the subject and adding “n’t” to it.

Example:

  1. They have got a costly house in the village.

Haven’t they got a costly house in the village?

 

  1. James is coming to the cricket match this afternoon.

Isn’t James coming to the cricket match this afternoon?

 

PG 63

 

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