Negative Verb To Be: How to Form Sentences + Examples

The negative verb to be is one of the first grammar structures you learn in English. Here, you'll see its structure, contractions, and common uses.

How do you use the negative form of the verb "to be"?

When we want to explain that our house isn't big, our uncles aren't Canadian, the sky isn't green, and many other things, we use "to be" in the negative form:

1. Our house is not big. (Nuestra casa no es grande)
2. Our uncles are not Canadian. (Nuestros tíos no son canadienses)
3. The sky is not green. (El cielo no es verde)

We can see in the examples that to negate with the verb "to be," we simply use the word "not" after the verb.

📌 Discover more about the verb "to be" by reading our guide on the Verb "To Be" in the Present Tense: Use, Structure, and Examples.

Here we can see what the sentences look like in the positive and negative forms:

Structure and Examples of the Negative Form of the Verb "to be"

The structure of a negative sentence is very simple:

Subject + Verb "to be" + "not" + Complement

1. I am not a doctor.
2. You are not a cat.
3. He is not happy.
4. She is not tall.
5. We are not nervous.
6. They are not quiet.

How do you ask questions with the verb "to be" in the negative?

If we want to ask about something that isn't, we simply invert the order of the verb "to be" and the subject:

1. Am I not invited?
2. Are you not invited?
3. Are we not invited?
4. Is he not invited?
5. Is she not invited?
6. Are they not invited?

Forming negative questions with the verb “to be” is simple once you understand the inversion. With practice, it becomes natural in everyday conversations.

The contractions of the negative verb to be

Combining two words into one is very common in English, especially in informal contexts. This combination is called a contraction.

⬇️ There are two ways to contract the verb "to be" in the negative with each subject (except "I"). Notice how the two words merge to shorten the sentence:

Examples of use:

• I’m not happy.
• You’re not home. / You aren’t home.
• She’s not a doctor. / She isn’t a doctor.

Variations and common uses of the negative verb to be

We use the verb “to be” in the negative to talk about what is not or is not there (professions, emotions, characteristics, location and more).

Ain’t

This is an informal expression that we use instead of “isn’t” or “aren’t”, although it is not as common in some regions of the English-speaking world.

Examples:

• She ain’t here. - She isn’t here.
• He ain’t tired. - He isn’t tired.
• This ain’t right. - This isn’t right.

As you can see, the negative verb to be can appear in both formal and informal contexts. What matters most is understanding the structure and using it correctly.

Exercises to practice the negative form of the verb "to be"

Here are some exercises with sentences and questions using the negative form of the verb "to be". You'll see the answers below:

1. ____ you ___ happy? 
2. ____ John ____ at home? 
3. ___ I ____ invited?
4. I ___ ____ taller than my sister.
5. Katherine ___ ____ a secretary. 
6. You ___ ____ better than me at chess.

Answers: 1) Are… not, 2) Is… not, 3) Am… not, 4) am not, 5) is not/isn’t, 6) are not/aren’t. 

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Frequently asked questions about the verb "to be" in the negative