Affirmative & Negative Agreement, Negation, Commands

Affirmative & Negative Agreement, Negation, Commands

 A.    Affirmative Agreement

         When indicating that one person pr thing does something and then adding that another does the same. Use the word so or too. To avoid needless repetition of words from the affirmative statement, use the conjunction andfollowed by a simple statement using so or too. The order of this statement will depend on whether so or too is used.

1.  When a form of the verb be is used in the main clause, the same tense of the verb be is used in the simple statement that follows.

            affirmative statement (be) + and + subject + verb (be) + too

                                                                       so + verb (be) + subject

  example

               I am sick, and You are sick.

               - I am sick and You are too

               - I am sick and so are you

2. When a compound verb (auxiliary + verb), for example, will go, should do, has done, have written, must examine, etc. occurs in the main clause, the auxiliary of the main verb is used in the simple statement, and the subject and verb must agree.

        Affirmative statement + and + subject + auxiliary only + too

                                                           so + auxiliary only + subject

  example

   

            He has seen her plays. The girls have seen her play

           - He has seen her plays, and the girls have too

           - He has seen her plays, and so have the girls

           

3. When any verb except be appearswithout any auxiliaries in the main clause, the auxiliary do, does, or did is used in simple statement. The subject and verb must agree and the tense must be the same.

        Affirmative statement + and + subject + do, does, or did + too

        (single verb except be)          so + do, does, or did + subject

   example

           We go to school, my brother goes to school

           - We go to school, and my brother does too

           - We go to school, and so does my brother

B.  Negative Agreement

         Either and Neither function in simple statements much like so and too in affirmative sentences. However, either and neither are used to indicate negative agreement. The same rules for auxiliaries, be and do, does, or did apply.

Negative statement + and + subject + negative auxiliary or be + either

                                                   neither + positive auxiliary + subject

  example

            I didn't go to the mosque yesterday, Septian didn't go to the mosque yesterday

           - I didn't go the the mosque yesterday, and Septian didn't either

           - I didn't go to the mosque yesterday, and neither did Septian

   C. Negation

         To make a sentence negative, add the negative particle not after the auxiliary or verb be. If there is no auxiliary or be, add the appropriate form of do, does, or did and place in word not after that.

  example

          John is rich                  John is not rich

         Mark has seen Bill       Mark has not seen Bill

The following examples contain no auxiliary and thus use do, does, or did.

  example

         Marvin likes apple       Marvin does not like apple

         They went to market    They did not go to market

Some/any

         If there is a noun in the complement of a negative sentence, one should add the particle any before the noun.

         Some               affirmative sentences

         Any                 negative sentences and question

example

       

        Mery has some fruits

        Mery doesn’t have any fruits

Hardly, barely, rarely, seldom, etc.

         Remember that in an English sentence it is usually incorrect to have two negatives together. This is called a double negative and is not acceptable in standard English. The following words have a negative meaning and, thus, must be used with a positive verb

      Hardly                                     almost nothing

      Barely              mean                              or

      Scarcely                                   almost not at all

      Rarely        

      Seldom           mean                almost never

      Hardly ever

  example

          

        Providing fresh trout for dinner was rarely a problem

        She scarcely saw her grandchildren

        Griffin, the physics teacher, seldom shouted.

D. Commands

         A command is an imperative statement. One person orders another to do something. It can be preceded by please. The understood subject is you. Use the simple form of the verb.

        Open the window                        leave the room

        Please turn on the light                           Close your book

Negative commands: A negative command is formed by adding the word don’t before the verb.

        Don’t close the window

        Please don’t turn on the light

Indirect commands: Usually the verbs order, ask, tell, or say are used to indicate an indirect command. They are followed by the infinitive (to + verb).

     Mery asked Uta to turn on the light

Negative Indirect commands: to make an indirect command negative, add the particle not before the infinitive.

                        Subject + verb + complement + not + (verb in infinitive)

  example

        Mommy told Atta not to open the door