The Simple Present Tense - Negative


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What's wrong with the sentence below?

Problem:  Part-time work do not provide enough money for books, transportation, food and rent.

In today's lesson we discuss the Simple Present Tense: Negative Forms of Verbs.

To study the prior lesson, click here, on "How do we form the simple present tense? Positive be Verbs"

Simple Present Tense - Negative Action Verbs


  • In the simple present tense, the negative action verb always uses an Use the auxiliary, do or does.  (The auxiliary do or does must be in concordance in number (singular, plural) and person (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person).  

    As such, 3rd person singular verbs use the auxiliary does, while all others use do.

  • The main verb is in its base form.


1.  Action Verbs

Simple Present Tense: Negative Action Verbs

All Action Verbs
example: (to) wait


  Positive Negative Contracted Negative
I, you, we, they wait do not wait don't wait
he, she, it waits does not wait doesn't wait



Apply What You've Just Learned

Negative Action Verbs, Simple Present Tense

What's wrong with the sentence below?

Problem:  Part-time work do not provide enough money for books, transportation, food and rent.
Solution:  Part-time work does not provide enough money for books, transpotation, food and rent.
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Next... Simple Prepsent Tense: How to Form Negative 'be' Verbs

We continue this unit with our next lesson, Simple Present Tense: How to form negative be verbs. 

So now from the ESL Help Desk, thanks for dropping by for this lesson and remember to email us your questions about English grammar by way of our blog. 

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