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Two parts and a verb

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Let's break it down...

You have already learned how to conjugate -er verbs. To formulate the negative, you usually start with a conjugated verb.

You also need ne and pas. Both parts must be present, but particular emphasis needs to be put on the pas.

After you have all the pieces, you assemble your negative sentence by putting the ne in front of the conjugated verb and pas after it. In other words, you create a verb sandwich.

For example:

Je mange les escargots. (I eat snails.)

Je is your subject, and mange is your conjugated verb. The ne...pas goes around the conjugated verb, so in this case mange.

Je ne mange pas les escargots. (I do not eat snails.) Notice that in English, negative sentences use the helping verb to do. Be careful! Do not try to translate that do into French!

Nous aimons les escargots.

Nous is the subject, and aimons is the conjugated verb. The ne...pas goes around the conjugated verb aimons. Nous n’aimons pas les escargots.

Notice in the last example that the ne becomes n'. Any time the ne precedes a vowel, it drops the e and becomes n'.

In the following table, you will see some additional examples using the negation. Read through the examples to see if you understand how to use the negative before moving on to the practice.

sandwich
Singular Plural
Je ne travaille pas à Paris. Nous ne voyageons pas en France.
Tu ne nettoies pas la salle de bain. Vous n’achetez pas la robe pour maman.
Il n’enseigne pas les enfants. Elles ne lavent pas la voiture.

Try making each of the following sentences negative. Remember to make a verb sandwich.

Nous voyageons en France.

  1. Nous ne voyageons en France.
  2. Nous ne voyageons pas en France.
  3. Nous voyageons pas en France.

Je fais les devoirs.

  1. Je fais pas les devoirs.
  2. Je ne fais les devoirs.
  3. Je ne fais pas les devoirs.

Il nettoie la maison.

  1. Il ne nettoie pas la maison.
  2. Il ne nettoie la maison.
  3. Il nettoie pas la maison.

Vous enseignez le français.

  1. Vous enseignez pas le français.
  2. Vous n’enseignez le français.
  3. Vous n’enseignez pas le français.

Tu laves le chien.

  1. Tu ne laves le chien.
  2. Tu ne laves pas le chien.
  3. Tu laves pas le chien.

Summary

Questions answered correctly:

Questions answered incorrectly:

Question

Where do you place ne…pas to negate a sentence?

You place them around the conjugated verb to make a verb sandwich.

How did you do? Did you understand how to formulate the negative? If not, review the explanations and examples before you continue to the next screen.