NEGATION FOR ANY/ALL VERBS HOW TO NEGATE THEM; HOW TO FORM THE NEGATIVE
IN FRENCH, THE NEGATIVE (“NOT”) IS COMPOSED OF TWO PARTS: STEP 1 IN FRENCH, THE NEGATIVE (“NOT”) IS COMPOSED OF TWO PARTS: “NE” AND “PAS”
STEP 2 THESE TWO PARTS GO TOGETHER IN FRONT OF AN INFINITIVE (“TO” + VERB) EXAMPLE: NOT TO GIVE = NE PAS DONNER NOT TO BE = NE PAS ÊTRE NOT TO HAVE = NE PAS AVOIR
THEY GO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUGATED VERB STEP 3 HOWEVER, WHEN YOU CONJUGATE A VERB, THE TWO PARTS SPLIT UP AND GO AROUND THE VERB THEY GO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUGATED VERB
EXAMPLE 1 “DONNER” = TO GIVE “NE PAS DONNER” = NOT TO GIVE JE NE DONNE PAS = I DO NOT GIVE, I DON’T GIVE, I AM NOT GIVING, I’M NOT GIVING TU NE DONNES PAS= YOU DO NOT GIVE, YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU ARE NOT GIVING, YOU’RE NOT GIVING, YOU AREN’T GIVING IL NE DONNE PAS= HE DOES NOT GIVE, HE DOESN’T GIVE, HE IS NOT GIVING, HE ISN’T GIVING, HE’S NOT GIVING ELLE NE DONNE PAS = SHE DOES NOT GIVE, SHE DOESN’T GIVE, SHE IS NOT GIVING, SHE ISN’T GIVING, SHE’S NOT GIVING ON NE DONNE PAS= ONE DOES NOT GIVE, ONE DOESN’T GIVE, ONE IS NOT GIVING, ONE ISN’T GIVING, ONE’S NOT GIVING
EXAMPLE 1 (CONT.) NOUS NE DONNONS PAS= WE DO NOT GIVE, WE DON’T GIVE, WE ARE NOT GIVING, WE AREN’T GIVING, WE’RE NOT GIVING VOUS NE DONNEZ PAS= YOU DO NOT GIVE, YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU ARE NOT GIVING, YOU AREN’T GIVING, YOU’RE NOT GIVING ILS NE DONNENT PAS= THEY DO NOT GIVE, THEY DON’T GIVE, THEY ARE NOT GIVING, THEY AREN’T GIVING, THEY’RE NOT GIVING ELLES NE DONNENT PAS= THEY DO NOT GIVE, THEY DON’T GIVE, THEY ARE NOT GIVING, THEY AREN’T GIVING, THEY’RE NOT GIVING
ATTENTION! HOWEVER, YOU MUST BE CAREFUL OF ONE LITTLE DETAIL: WHEN THE VERB BEGINS WITH A VOWEL OR “H” MUTE, YOU CANNOT HAVE THE VOWEL “E” FROM “NE” NEXT TO THE VERB, SO YOU MUST DROP IT AND PUT IN AN APOSTROPHE.
EXAMPLE 2 = “NE PAS ÊTRE” FOR THE SINGULAR: 1ST PERSON “I” = “JE” = JE NE SUIS PAS 2ND PERSON “YOU” = “TU” = TU N’ES PAS 3RD PERSON M. “HE” = “IL” = IL N’EST PAS 3RD PERSON F. “SHE” = “ELLE” = ELLE N’EST PAS 3RD PERSON ? “ONE” = “ON” = ON N’EST PAS
EXAMPLE 2 (CONT.) FOR THE PLURAL: 1ST PERSON = “WE” = NOUS NE SOMMES PAS 2ND PERSON = “YOU” = VOUS N’ÊTES PAS 3RD PERSON M. “THEY” = ILS NE SONT PAS 3RD PERSON F. “THEY” = ELLES NE SONT PAS
EXAMPLE 3 = “NE PAS AVOIR” JE N’AI PAS NOUS N’AVONS PAS TU N’AS PAS VOUS N’AVEZ PAS IL N’A PAS ILS N’ONT PAS ELLE N’A PAS ELLES N’ONT PAS ON N’A PAS