1. Making sentences negative
HIGHER FRENCH GRAMMAR
Making sentences negative

2. Negatives you already know
NE is shortened to N’ if the verb starts with a vowel or “h”
NE … PAS
= not
= never
NE … JAMAIS

3. = Negatives you already know VERB
Make a negative verb sandwich! =
VERB
Remember, the negative goes AROUND the verb.

4. Negatives you already know
After ‘pas’, du, de la, un, une and des become ‘de’
J’ai un frère
(I have a brother)
Je n’ai pas de frères
(I haven’t got any brothers)
Il y a une piscine
(There is a swimming pool)
Il n’y a pas de piscine
(There isn’t a swimming pool)

5. Practice 1
Make the following sentences negative, using either NE…PAS or NE…JAMAIS as indicated:
1. Je regarde la télé (not)
2. Il joue au foot (never)
3. Elle écoute le prof (never)
4. Tu vas au cinéma? (not)
5. Il fait ses devoirs (never)
6. Je sors ce soir (not)
Je ne regarde pas la télé
Il ne joue jamais au foot
Elle n’écoute jamais le prof
Tu ne vas pas au cinéma?
Il ne fait jamais ses devoirs
Je ne sors pas ce soir

6. Other negatives NE … RIEN = nothing / not anything NE … PLUS
There are another 6 negatives you need to know:
NE … RIEN
NE … PLUS
NE … PERSONNE
NE … QUE
NE … NI … NI
NE … AUCUN
= nothing / not anything
= no longer / no more
= no-one
= only
= neither … nor
= not a single, none at all

7. (He doesn’t do anything)
Practice 2
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
Il fait (nothing)
Il ne fait rien
(He does nothing)
(He doesn’t do anything)

8. Practice 2 J’aime les pommes (no longer) Je n’ aime plus les pommes
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
J’aime les pommes (no longer)
Je n’ aime plus les pommes
(I don’t like apples any more)
(I no longer like apples)

9. Practice 2 Elle écoute (no-one) Elle n’ écoute personne
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
Elle écoute (no-one)
Elle n’ écoute personne
(She doesn’t listen to anyone)
(She listens to no-one)

10. Practice 2 Je regarde les films (only) Je ne regarde que les films
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
Je regarde les films (only)
Je ne regarde que les films
(I only watch films)

11. Practice 2 Je regarde Friends / ER (neither … nor)
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
Je regarde Friends / ER
(neither … nor)
Je ne regarde ni Friends ni ER
(I watch neither Friends nor ER)

12. Practice 2 Je regarde les feuilletons (not a single, not any)
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
Je regarde les feuilletons
(not a single, not any)
Je ne regarde aucun feuilleton
(I don’t watch any soaps)

13. Reminder NE … PAS = not NE … JAMAIS = never NE … RIEN
NE … PLUS
NE … PERSONNE
NE … QUE
NE … NI … NI
NE … AUCUN
= not
= never
= nothing / not anything
= no longer / no more
= no-one
= only
= neither … nor
= not a single / not any

14. Practice 3 I don’t have a part-time job anymore
Using the negative phrases you have just learnt, copy and translate the following sentences:
I don’t have a part-time job anymore
Je n’ai plus de petit boulot
I don’t earn any money
Je ne gagne pas d’argent
I never go out during the week
Je ne sors jamais pendant la semaine
I never do anything in school
Je ne fais rien à l’école

15. COMPOUND VERBS (a verb that is made up of 2 parts)
Things to watch out for!
You didn’t think it was going to be that easy did you?
COMPOUND VERBS (a verb that is made up of 2 parts)
When the verb is made up of 2 parts, the
second part of the negative is usually
placed after the first part of the verb.

16. (He hasn’t done anything)
COMPOUND VERBS
Make the following sentences negative, using the correct negative as indicated:
1st part of verb
2nd part of verb
Il a fait (nothing)
(He has done)
Il n’a rien fait
(He hasn’t done anything)
2nd part of negative
1st part of negative

17. COMPOUND VERBS Examples
Copy and translate the following sentences:
Je suis allé en vacances avec mes parents.
> (I didn’t go on holiday with my parents)
Je ne suis pas allé en vacances avec mes parents.
2. J’ai fumé >(I’ve never smoked)
Je n’ai jamais fumé
3. Je veux travailler>(I don’t want to work anymore)
Je ne veux plus travailler

18. COMPOUND VERBS 2 Ils n’ont vu personne
There is one exception to this rule
ne…personne.
In this case personne goes after the second part of the verb.
1st part of verb
2nd part of verb
2nd part of negative
1st part of negative
Ils n’ont vu personne
(They didn’t see anyone)

19. REFLEXIVE VEBRS Je m’entends bien avec ma sœur (not)
With reflexive verbs the first part of the negation is placed before the reflexive pronoun
reflexive pronoun
verb
Je m’entends bien avec ma sœur (not)
(I get on with my sister)
Je ne m’entends pas bien avec ma sœur
(I don’t get on with my sister)
2nd part of negative
1st part of negative

20. REFLEXIVE VERBS Examples
Copy and translate the following sentences:
Je me dispute avec mes parents >(I don’t argue with my parents)
Je ne me dispute pas avec mes parents
Le week-end, je me réveille de bonne heure >(At the weekend, I never wake up early)
Le week-end, je ne me réveille jamais de bonne heure

21. JAMAIS / PERSONNE / RIEN
Jamais, personne and rien can be
used on their own
-Qu’est-ce que tu prends au petit déjeuner?
-Rien

22. PERSONNE / RIEN Personne ne le connaît Rien ne me plaît
Personne and rien may also be
subjects and will need to be placed at the
begining of the sentence.
Watch out! ne is still required!
Personne ne le connaît
(no-one knows it)
Rien ne me plaît
(nothing pleases me)

23. Copy and translate the following sentences:
Recap Exercises
Copy and translate the following sentences:
Nobody knows where he is
Personne ne sait où il est
They didn’t hurry up
Ils/elles ne sont pas dépéché(e)s
I haven’t finished my homework
Je n’ai pas fini mes devoirs
She doesn’t want to lend me her car
Elle ne veut pas me prêter sa voiture
Our French teacher is never angry
Notre professeur de français n’est jamais en colère

24. More practice If you want to practise a bit more, go to
my blog where you’ll find a negatives quiz or