Negative Forms and Question Forms
A negative form is a sentence structure that says something is not true, usually built with 'not' or a contraction such as 'n't', while a question form asks something, usually built by inverting the subject and an auxiliary verb. English typically needs an auxiliary such as 'do', 'does', 'did', 'is' or 'have' to build both forms correctly and accurately at KS3.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Find the main verb and identify its tense (present simple, past simple and so on).
- To make a negative, insert the correct auxiliary verb (do/does/did) plus 'not' before the main verb, unless the sentence already has an auxiliary or modal verb (is, have, can), in which case add 'not' straight after it.
- To make a question, move the auxiliary or modal verb to the front of the sentence, before the subject (subject-auxiliary inversion).
- If there is no existing auxiliary verb, add 'do', 'does' or 'did' at the front and keep the main verb in its base form.
- For question-word questions (who, what, where, when, why, how), place the question word before the inverted auxiliary and subject.
- Check contractions such as 'don't', 'doesn't' and 'isn't' are used consistently for informal register, or written in full for formal writing.
Worked example
Turn the statement 'She has finished her homework' into (a) a negative sentence and (b) a question.
- Identify the auxiliary verb already present: 'has'.
- For the negative, add 'not' straight after the auxiliary: 'She has not finished her homework' (or 'hasn't').
- For the question, move 'has' in front of the subject 'she': 'Has she finished her homework?'
- Final answer: Negative = 'She has not finished her homework.' Question = 'Has she finished her homework?'
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a English exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Rewrite the sentence 'My sister plays the violin' as a negative sentence and as a question.
Explain why the sentence 'She don't like coffee' is grammatically incorrect in Standard English, and rewrite it correctly.
A student writes: 'Why she is late?' Identify the error in word order, explain the correct rule for forming questions with 'to be', and rewrite the question correctly.
Free printable worksheet
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