No vs. Not — Getting Negatives Right

Help for Spanish speakers: no / not / don’t — with Nicely & Javier (Level 3–4)

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📖Read the Lesson: No vs. Not

Info Just read and notice the patterns

In Spanish, you use no before the verb: No tengo dinero. In English, we usually need a helper verb with not: I do not have money.

  1. Use no:
    • Short answer: “Do you have the homework?” → No. / No, I don’t.
    • No + noun: no money, no time, no class, no problem
    • Fixed expressions: No way!, No thanks.
  2. Use not:
    • be + not: I’m not tired. / She’s not from Mexico.
    • do/does/did + not + verb: I don’t understand. / He doesn’t work on Sundays.
    • not + adjective/adverb: It’s not easy. / She is not very late.
  3. Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
    • ✗ I no understand. → ✓ I don’t understand.
    • ✗ I no have time. → ✓ I don’t have time.
    • ✗ It’s no cold. → ✓ It’s not cold.
    • ✗ I am no ready. → ✓ I am not ready.

Think: no = short answer or before a noun (no money, no class). not = with verbs and adjectives (do not, is not, not happy).

Mini-dialogue — Nicely & Javier

Nicely: Javier, do you have the homework?

Javier: No… I don’t. I no finish it.

Nicely: Careful. In English we say, “I didn’t finish it,” not “I no finish it.”

Javier: Oh right. I didn’t finish it. I was very tired.

Nicely: Same here. I’m not ready for class tonight.

Javier: At least there’s no quiz today. The teacher said, “No quiz, just practice.”

Nicely: Good. I have no energy for a quiz.

🧩Vocabulary — Matching (A & B)

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Match each sentence with the best meaning. Students only answer on the left (choose the correct letter).

Part A — Sentences

1. I’m not hungry.
2. There’s no class tonight.
3. No, I don’t.
4. Javier is not from Chicago.
5. I have no energy today.
6. She’s not ready for class.

Part B — Meanings

A. A short negative answer to a question.
B. We don’t have class tonight.
C. I have zero energy.
D. She isn’t prepared for class.
E. I don’t need to eat right now.
F. His city is a different place.

Notice the patterns: no + noun → no energy, no class not + adjective/verb → not hungry, not ready, not from here.

🧠Vocabulary in Context

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Choose the best answer.

1. “Do you like grammar?” — “_____, I don’t.”
2. I’m sure about the answer.
3. There is bus after 11:00 p.m. We have to walk.
4. Nicely like taking quizzes at night.
5. “No phones in class” means you’re .

❓Multiple Choice

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Choose the best answer. Answer choices are shuffled each time you load the page.

1. Which sentence is correct English?
2. Which sentence uses no correctly?
3. “I’m not from here” means…
4. Which answer is a good short negative answer?

✏️Cloze — Nicely and Javier at Centro Romero

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Read about Nicely and Javier in their evening class. Complete the paragraph with words from the bank. Click a word to fill a blank, or type it. Use 🔎 for a first-letter hint.

Word bank (tap to fill)

No, I don’t. no homework no money don’t doesn’t am not not No way!

It is 5:55 p.m. at Centro Romero. The English class starts at 6:00. Javier looks at Nicely and says, “Do you like grammar?” Nicely laughs and answers, “But I really want to learn.”

Javier opens his wallet and sees inside. “I even have money for coffee,” he says. “And I ready for a quiz tonight.”

Nicely answers, “The teacher give us a quiz every class. Sometimes there is and we just practice.” Javier says, “ That never happens in my other classes.”

When the teacher arrives, she says, “Don’t worry. There is a quiz today. We are going to talk about no and not instead.”

✔️True / False

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Decide if each sentence is true (T) or false (F).

1. “No homework” means there is zero homework.
2. “I no like English” is a correct English sentence.
3. “I’m not tired” uses not with the verb “be”.
4. We usually use “no” directly before the main verb in English sentences.

🔢Sequencing — Fix the Mistakes (A & B)

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Write numbers 1–4 to show a good order for correcting Spanish-style “no” sentences.

Part A — From “I no understand” to correct English

A Spanish speaker says, “I no understand.”
A friend explains, “In English we use ‘do not’ or ‘don’t’ with the verb.”
They change the sentence to “I don’t understand.”
Next time, the speaker tries to use “don’t” instead of “no”.

Part B — From “I am no ready” to correct English

A student says, “I am no ready.”
The teacher says, “Use ‘not’ after ‘am’: I am not…”
The student repeats, “I am not ready.”
Later, the student says correctly, “I’m not ready for the quiz.”

💬“For Example” Practice with No / Not

Task Free production

Complete each sentence and give at least one example from your life.

  1. Sentence: “No, I don’t…”

    For example:

  2. Sentence: “There is no…”

    For example:

  3. Sentence: “I’m not…”

    For example:

  4. Sentence: “I don’t…”

    For example:

🗣️Discussion, Writing and Role Play

Task Speaking and writing

Discussion / Writing

  1. In your first language, do you say “no” before the verb, like “No tengo tiempo”? How is it different from English?
  2. Write three correct English sentences with no and three with not.
  3. Write about a time when you said a sentence like “I no understand” in English. How would you fix it now?
  4. Explain to a new student the rule for no vs. not using easy English.

Role Play — Nicely Helps Javier

Practice this dialogue with a partner. Then change details (food, homework, city, etc.).

  • Javier: Nicely, I think I said something wrong. I told the teacher, “I no understand.”
  • Nicely: Yeah, in English we say, “I don’t understand,” not “I no understand.”
  • Javier: So I use “don’t” with the verb?
  • Nicely: Exactly. Or “doesn’t” with he/she/it.
  • Javier: And “no” is for things like “no class,” “no money,” right?
  • Nicely: Right. And also short answers: “No, I don’t.”
  • Javier: Okay, I’m not going to say “I no understand” anymore.
  • Nicely: Good. Next time say, “I don’t understand. Can you explain again?”
  • Javier: Thanks, Nicely. No problem, right?
  • Nicely: Exactly. No problem.

🔐Answer Key (Teacher)

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