The basic negative form in French is ne+verb+pas. (eg: Je suis une femme.=>Je ne suis pas une femme.) All other negative expressions follow the same pattern: ne+verb+jamais/ plus/rien etc... (eg: J'ai toujours froid.=>Je n'ai jamais froid.)

Back to Ex. 1

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negation.

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Explanations?

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Not a valid choice.

Improper negation of déjà ('already').

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 2

Not a valid choice.

Improper negation of déjà ('already').

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 2

Correct!

Proper negation of déjà ('already').

Be aware: Ne...pas encore in French translates into not yet in English and is the negation of déjà. (eg: Je suis déjà allé en Afrique. =>Je ne suis pas encore allé en Afrique.)

Back to Ex. 2

Correct!

Proper placement of the negative phrase when it is a subject.

When the negative phrase is a subject, the negative word +ne precede the verb. This is often the case with rien and personne. (eg: Rien ne m'intéresse; personne ne me comprend.)

Back to Ex. 3

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negative phrase when it is a subject.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 3

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negative phrase when it is a subject.

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Explanations?

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Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 4

Correct!

Proper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

When the verb is a compound tense (eg. passé composé) the 2nd part of the negation follows the auxilary. (eg: Je n'ai jamais mangé dans ce restaurant.) Exceptions are with personne and nulle part where the negative word follows the past participle.(eg: Je n'ai vu personne; je ne suis allée nulle part.)

Back to Ex. 4

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

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Explanations?

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Correct!

Proper formation of the negative with an indefinite article.

The indefinite article (un,une,des) generally becomes de in a negative phrase. (eg: Il y a un stylo dans mon sac.=>Il n'y a pas de stylo dans mon sac.) Be aware: This is not the case with the verb être: C'est un stylo.=>Ce n'est pas un stylo.

Back to Ex. 5

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative with an indefinite article.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 5

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative with an indefinite article.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 5

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with ni...ni.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 6

Correct!

Proper formation of the negative phrase with ni...ni.

Ne...ni...ni in French translates into 'neither...nor' in English. It is the negation of et...et.... When it is a subject it becomes ni...ni...ne....

Back to Ex. 6

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with ni...ni.

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Explanations?

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Correct!

Proper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

Aucun/aucune means 'not one' and is the negation of quelques or tous. It can be an adjective or a pronoun. Like personne and nulle part, in a compound tense, it is placed after the past participle. (eg: Je n' ai compris aucune question.) Like personne and rien, it can be a subject in which case it is followed by ne and precedes the verb which is always in the singular. (eg: Aucune question n'est facile.)

Back to Ex. 7

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 7

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 7

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negation.

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Explanations?

Improper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 8

Correct!

Proper placement of the negation.

Proper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

Back to Ex. 8

Not a valid choice.

Improper placement of the negation.

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Explanations?

Improper placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 8

Correct!

Proper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

Back to Ex. 9

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 9

Not a valid choice.

Improper formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 9

Correct!

Proper negation of encore ('still').

Be aware: Ne...plus in French translates into 'no longer' in English and is the negation of encore.(eg: Je vis encore chez mes parents. => Je ne vis plus chez mes parents.)

Back to Ex. 10

Not a valid choice.

Improper negation of encore ('still').

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 10

Not a valid choice.

Improper negation of encore ('still').

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Explanations?

Back to Ex. 10

Grammatical notes for the exercises in this page.

In the following exercise, transform all affirmative sentences into negative ones.

The items covered are:

1)- The placement of the negation.

Ex. 1 Ex. 8

2)- The placement of the negative phrase with a compound tense.

Ex. 4 Ex. 8

3)- The placement of the negative phrase when it is a subject.

When the negative phrase is a subject, the negative word +ne precede the verb. This is often the case with rien and personne. (eg: Rien ne m'intéresse; personne ne me comprend.)

Ex. 3

4)- The formation of the negative with an indefinite article.

Ex. 5

5)- The negation of encore ('still').

Be aware: Ne...plus in French translates into 'no longer' in English and is the negation of encore.(eg: Je vis encore chez mes parents. => Je ne vis plus chez mes parents.)

Ex. 10

6)- The negation of déjà ('already').

Be aware: Ne...pas encore in French translates into not yet in English and is the negation of déjà. (eg: Je suis déjà allé en Afrique. =>Je ne suis pas encore allé en Afrique.)

Ex. 2

7)- The formation of the negative phrase with aucun/aucune.

Ex. 7 Ex. 9

8)- The formation of the negative phrase with ni...ni.

Ne...ni...ni in French translates into 'neither...nor' in English. It is the negation of et...et.... When it is a subject it becomes ni...ni...ne....

Ex. 6

Back to Ex. 1

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