Why you didn't call? They didn't say nothing. You're coming, isn't it? Negatives and question tags are where a confident speaker still slips, because every one of them has a small mechanical rule underneath.
1. Not After Four
Bea: Coffee?
Tom: I never drink it after four.
Bea: Tea, then.
Tom: I never say no to tea.
Bea: Kettle's on.
2. No Word Yet
Dov: Did they tell you?
Ria: They didn't say anything.
Dov: Nothing at all?
Ria: I didn't hear anything about it.
Dov: Then it's not decided.
3. The Door Was Open
Ken: Who locked up?
Ana: Nobody locked up.
Ken: The door was open all night?
Ana: Nobody noticed until seven.
Ken: Cameras, then.
4. You Missed the Train
Ivy: The train left at six.
Sol: Why didn't you call me?
Ivy: My battery died.
Sol: Why didn't you borrow a phone?
Ivy: I didn't think of it.
5. Checking the Plan
Pia: You're coming Friday, aren't you?
Rem: I am. Seven?
Pia: Seven. You're bringing the salad, aren't you?
Rem: I'd forgotten the salad.
Pia: Now you haven't.
6. The New Starter
Nils: Lena starts on Monday.
Cara: She works in Leeds, doesn't she?
Nils: She's moving down.
Cara: She has family here, doesn't she?
Nils: A sister in Croydon.
7. Sunday Evenings
Gil: I hate Sunday evenings.
Mira: So do I.
Gil: You always seem fine.
Mira: I hide it. So do most people.
Gil: That helps, oddly.
8. Nobody Drives Here
Ada: I don't drive in the city.
Ben: Neither do I.
Ada: Parking is impossible.
Ben: Neither do my neighbours. We share a van.
Ada: Sensible.
Words to know
| never | never is already negative, so the verb stays positive — and never sits in front of it I never drink it after four. |
| anything | after a negative verb use anything, anybody, anywhere — not nothing, nobody, nowhere They didn't say anything. |
| nobody | when nobody is the subject, the verb stays positive: nobody locked, nobody came Nobody locked up. |
| why didn't | a negative question keeps the question order: why didn't you, not why you didn't Why didn't you call me? |
| aren't you | the tag copies the verb in the sentence: you're becomes aren't you You're coming Friday, aren't you? |
| doesn't she | no be verb in the sentence means the tag uses do: she works becomes doesn't she She works in Leeds, doesn't she? |
| so do I | to agree with a positive sentence, say so plus the verb plus the person So do most people. |
| neither do I | to agree with a negative sentence, say neither plus a positive verb Neither do my neighbours. We share a van. |
Quick practice
Each line below has one negative too many, or the words in the wrong order. Say the whole line correctly out loud, then check the answers.
1. Not: I drink never it after four.
Say: _______________
2. Not: They didn't say nothing.
Say: _______________
3. Not: Nobody didn't lock up.
Say: _______________
4. Not: Why you didn't call me?
Say: _______________
5. Not: You're coming Friday, isn't it?
Say: _______________
6. Not: So I do.
Say: _______________
Show the answers
1. I never drink it after four. 2. They didn't say anything. 3. Nobody locked up. 4. Why didn't you call me? 5. You're coming Friday, aren't you? 6. So do I.
Common mistakes
Not: I'm definately coming.
Say: I'm definitely coming.
there is no a in definitely. The word hides finite in the middle: de-finite-ly.
Not: The room was very quite.
Say: The room was very quiet.
quiet with the e before the t means no noise. quite means fairly: quite good.
Not: I cant come tonight.
Say: I can't come tonight.
the short form always needs its apostrophe: can't, don't, won't, isn't. And the long form cannot is one word.
Your turn
Say these five aloud. Build the tag last, and copy the verb that is already in the sentence.
- Name one thing you never do before ten in the morning.
- Say what nobody in your home ever remembers to do.
- Ask a friend a negative question, starting with Why didn't you.
- Check a plan with someone, ending with aren't you or doesn't she.
- Agree with this out loud twice: I don't like early meetings. Use Neither do I.
Quick review
English allows one negative per sentence and no more. Didn't say anything, not didn't say nothing. Nobody came, not nobody didn't come. Never drink, not don't never drink. Count the negatives in your next five sentences — if you find two, take one out.