Affirmative to Negative

Affirmative to Negative Transformation

(Without Changing Meaning)

Arup Roy, Lecturer in English Language & Literature, Kanchkura University College

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This lecture focuses on transforming affirmative sentences into negative sentences without changing their original meaning. We'll cover the essential rules and provide clear examples for each.

Rule Number 1: "Always" to "Never" + Antonym

Replace "Always" with "never" and use the antonym (opposite) of the main verb, noun, or adjective to keep the original meaning.

Affirmative: We all should always speak the truth.

Negative: We all should never tell a lie.

Affirmative: He is always emotional.

Negative: He is never rational.

Rule Number 2: "As soon as" to "No sooner had... than"

Replace "As soon as" with "No sooner had" followed by the first clause (verb in past participle), and connect the two clauses with "than".

Affirmative: As soon as I reached the station, the train left.

Negative: No sooner had I reached the station than the train left.

Rule Number 3: "All" to "No" + Antonym

Replace "All" with "No" or "No one/none" and use the antonym of the verb or adjective.

Affirmative: All women should be respected.

Negative: No women should be disrespected.

Affirmative: All must die.

Negative: No one can avoid death.

Rule Number 4: "Must" to "Cannot but"

Replace "must" with "cannot but". (Applies when "all" is not the subject).

Affirmative: We must study seriously.

Negative: We cannot but study seriously.

Rule Number 5: "And" to "Not only... but also"

When two subjects, verbs, objects, or complements are joined by "and", use "not only... but also" before those parts.

Affirmative: Rohan and Rohit played well.

Negative: Not only Rohan but also Rohit played well.

Affirmative: He is a teacher and singer.

Negative: He is not only a teacher but also a singer.

Rule Number 6: "Only" Replacement

Replace "Only" with "None but" (for people), "nothing but" (for things), or "not more than" (for age or number).

Affirmative: Only God can save us.

Negative: None but God can save us.

Affirmative: Only it costs $5000.

Negative: Nothing but it costs $5000.

Affirmative: They are only seventeen.

Negative: They are not more than seventeen.

Rule Number 7: "Sometimes" to "Not always"

Replace "Sometimes" with "not always".

Affirmative: He sometimes writes.

Negative: He does not always write.

Rule Number 8: Quantifiers ("Many," "Few," "Little")

Use "not a few" for "many," "not many" for "a few," and "not a little" for "much" or "a lot of."

Affirmative: There are many students in this class.

Negative: There are not a few students in this class.

Affirmative: I have a few cars.

Negative: I do not have many cars.

Rule Number 9 & 10: "For the last time" / "Forever" to "Never"

"For the last time", "forever", or "for good" are replaced by a form of "never" or "never again".

Affirmative: I am watching a Bangla cinema for the last time.

Negative: I will never watch Bangla cinema.

Affirmative: I have given up alcohol forever.

Negative: I will never take alcohol.

Rule Number 11: Auxiliary as Main Verb + Antonym

If the auxiliary verb (am/is/are, etc.) is the main verb, use "not" and the antonym of the adjective that follows.

Affirmative: He is happy.

Negative: He is not unhappy.

Affirmative: He is a knowledgeable person.

Negative: He is not an unlettered person.

Rule Number 12, 13, 17, 18: "Every" / "Everybody" Transformations

"Every" or "Everybody" can be replaced by:
1. "There is no... but"
2. "There is no... who does not"
3. "Nobody/No one" + Antonym.

Affirmative: Every mother loves her child.

Negative: There is no mother who does not love her child.

Affirmative: Everybody is emotional.

Negative: Nobody is rational.

Affirmative: Everybody is liable to error.

Negative: Nobody is free from error.

Rule Number 14 & 15: Comparative/Superlative to Positive Degree

Transforming sentences using **Superlative or Comparative degrees** into negative sentences often requires converting them into the **Positive degree** form.

Affirmative: Dhaka is bigger than any other city in Bangladesh.

Negative: No other city in Bangladesh is as big as Dhaka.

Affirmative: Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are the best batsmen in the world.

Negative: No other batsman in the world is as good as Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

Rule Number 16: Simple Antonym Switch

Use "not" followed by the antonym of the main adjective or verb.

Affirmative: He is rich.

Negative: He is not poor.

Affirmative: The room is tidy.

Negative: The room is not untidy.

Rule Number 19: Antonym of Adverb

Use **"not"** followed by the antonym of the adverb.

Affirmative: He acted foolishly.

Negative: He did not act wisely.

Rule Number 20: "Too... to" to "So... that"

Replace "too" with "so" and the following "to" with "that". Insert "cannot" (present tense) or "could not" (past tense) after the subject in the second clause.

Affirmative: He is too poor to buy a car.

Negative: He is so poor that he cannot buy a car.

Affirmative: He was too weak to move.

Negative: He was so weak that he could not move.

Related Grammar Topics

Transformation of Structural Sentence: Part One Degree of Comparison Various Types of Sentence

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