Homework: Negative Statements, Simple Present, Verb Be

Again, and hopefully not in vane, before you start checking the homework, you might want to check these differences between NO and NOT.

Now, let’s start doing homework, which will be a gradual sequence of homework exercises to practice negation in the Simple Present tense with the verb “be.” I am including MANY different types of practice, so work on what you need, as much as you need it.

Level 1: Basic Practice

1. Fill in the Blanks: Complete the sentences by using the correct form of the verb “be” (am, is, are) in the negative.

• Exercise:
  • She _ a doctor.
  • They _ at the party.
  • I _ feeling well.
  • He _ my friend.
  • It _ a sunny day.

1. Simple Identification: Identify whether the given sentences are positive or negative.

• Exercise:
  • We are not going.
  • She is happy.
  • They are not here.
  • He is a teacher.
  • It is not cold.

Level 2: Intermediate Practice

3. Sentence Rewriting: Rewrite the positive sentences to negative and vice versa.

• Exercise:
  • Positive: “You are late.” → Negative: “You are not late.”
  • Positive: “She is busy.” → Negative:
  • Negative: “They are not hungry.” → Positive:
  • Negative: “It is not easy.” → Positive:
  • Positive: “I am tired.” → Negative:

3. Complete the Conversation: Create a dialogue involving characters using negative sentences with the verb “be.”

• Exercise:
  • A: “Are you feeling well?”
    B: “No, I _ feeling well.”
  • A: “Is she happy?”
    B: “No, she _ happy today.”

Level 3: Advanced Practice

5. Complex Structure: Write sentences that combine multiple elements with negation.

• Exercise:
  • “They are usually happy.” → “They are not usually happy.”
  • “She is often at home.” →
  • “We are always together.” →

5. Forming Questions: Create interrogative sentences using negation with the verb “be.”

• Exercise:
  • “He is busy.” → “Is he not busy?”
  • “They are at the store.” → “Are they not at the store?”
  • “She is a doctor.” → “Is she not a doctor?”

Level 4: Challenging Practice

7. Dialogue Completion: Provide the missing parts of a dialogue using negative sentences.

• Exercise:
  • A: “He’s usually early.”
    B: “No, today he _ early.”
  • A: “You are happy.”
    B: “No, I _ happy right now.”

7. Creating Scenarios: Describe various scenarios using negative sentences with “be” to illustrate absence or contradiction.

• Exercise:
  • “The classroom _ empty on weekends.”
  • “She _ a morning person.”
  • “They _ interested in the new project.”

Level 5: Expert Practice

9. Narrative Writing: Compose a short story or paragraph incorporating negative sentences with “be” to show various situations or emotions.

• Exercise: Write a story where negation is used to describe changing emotions or circumstances of a character throughout the day.

9. Complex Structure Challenge: Create sentences that involve multiple subjects and negation with “be” in different forms.
   • Exercise: “They, along with their friends, _ happy about the decision.”

These exercises offer a progressive difficulty level, moving from basic identification and sentence completion to more complex sentence structures and creative writing, providing extensive practice with negation in the Simple Present tense with the verb “be.”

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