Grammar: A1 - Sentence Structure - Basics - Lesson 4: Simple Negative Statements with 'be'

✨ Lesson 4: Simple Negative Statements with 'be'

We know how to make positive sentences (affirmative statements) like "I am a student." Today, we will learn how to make negative¹ sentences.

A negative sentence says that something is not true². To do this, we use one magic word: not.

The Golden Rule: Add 'not'

To make a sentence with the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) negative, you simply add not after the verb.

[Subject] + [am / is / are] + not + [Rest of Sentence]

Positive (+)	Negative (-)
I am tired.	I am not tired.
He is a farmer.	He is not a farmer.
The weather is cold.	The weather is not cold.
We are busy.	We are not busy.
They are tourists.	They are not tourists.

Negative Contractions³

In spoken English, we usually join the verb and 'not' together to make a contraction.

Long Form	Contraction	Example
is not	isn't	She isn't here.
are not	aren't	You aren't late.

Important: We do not have a common contraction for "am not". Instead, we contract the pronoun and verb: "I am" becomes "I'm".

So, "I am not tired" becomes "I'm not tired."

🧠 Practice Quiz: Make it Negative

Change the positive sentences into negative sentences. Use the contraction form.

1. He is a doctor.
   → He isn't a doctor.
2. They are from Vietnam.
   → They aren't from Vietnam.
3. It is a durian.
   → It isn't a durian.
4. We are tired.
   → We aren't tired.
5. I am a teacher.
   → I'm not a teacher.

📝 Homework: Write True Sentences

Write three true negative sentences about yourself, your family, or your town.

Example: I am not a tourist. My house is not big. My parents are not from Phnom Penh.

---

1: ___________________________________

2: ___________________________________

3: ___________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Negative: (Adjective) - បដិសេធ (bâ'dĕ'saeh) - Meaning 'no'; saying that something is not true. ↩
2. True: (Adjective) - ពិត (pĭt) - Correct or based on fact. ↩
3. Contraction: (Noun) - ពាក្យកាត់ (peak kat) - A shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., 'is not' becomes 'isn't'). ↩