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Beginner 📝 Grammar
Basic questions & negatives
How to make a sentence negative (not / don’t / doesn’t) and how to ask a question (do / does, is / are, and question words)..
1What is it?
How to make a sentence negative (not / don’t / doesn’t) and how to ask a question (do / does, is / are, and question words).
2Why do we use it?
Conversation is questions and answers. If you can only make statements, you can’t keep a conversation going.
3The simple rule
With be: put not after it; move it to the front for a question. With other verbs: use do / does (don’t / doesn’t) and keep the main verb plain.
4Formula
Do / Does + subject + verb? · subject + don’t / doesn’t + verb · Wh-word + do / is…?
5Easy examples
I don’t like coffee.
She doesn’t work here.
Do you live in Kochi?
Where does he work?
6Everyday examples
I’m not hungry.be + not
Are you busy?be moves to the front
What time do you start?
Why doesn’t she come?
7Kerala and India examples
Do you speak Malayalam?
I don’t eat beef.
Where do you stay in Trivandrum?
Does this bus go to East Fort?
8Common mistakes
He don’t know.
He doesn’t know.
Why: He → doesn’t.
You are coming?
Are you coming?
Why: Move are to the front for a question.
Where you live?
Where do you live?
Why: Add do after the question word.
I not like it.
I don’t like it.
Why: Use don’t, not just not.
9Practice quiz
Question 1 of 4Multiple choice
___ she like tea?
10Speaking challenge
Speaking challenge
Ask me 6 questions about my day (What time… Where… Do you… Why…). Then answer them yourself in the negative.
0:30
Say it out loud. Nobody is listening — that’s the point. Mistakes are allowed.