Using NOT in English — Level 3 Interactive Lesson

Quick Explanation

NOT is used to make a sentence negative. It is used with verbs, with “to be,” with adjectives, and with many short expressions.

Examples:

• I do not understand.
• She did not call me.
• It’s not open.
• He’s not a doctor.
• We are not late.
• They were not at work.

We also use NOT with adjectives and adverbs:

• It’s not easy.
• She’s not ready.
• He’s not here yet.

NO is different. “No” usually goes before a noun:

• I have no time.
• There is no milk.

This lesson is 90% NOT and 10% NO, to help you master NOT in real sentences.

Dialogue: Nicely and Javier

Nicely: Hey Javier, did you finish the homework?

Javier: I did not. I was tired.

Nicely: It’s okay. I’m not finished either.

Javier: The math part is not easy.

Nicely: Yeah, and the reading is not short!

Javier: Are you going to class early?

Nicely: I’m not sure. Probably not.

Javier: I hope the teacher is not strict today.

Nicely: Same! By the way, we have no class tomorrow, right?

Javier: Right. There’s no school on Fridays.

Vocabulary Matching: NOT Expressions

Multiple Choice

Cloze — Fill with NOT or NO

I’m hungry. She did call me yesterday. It’s cold today. He’s interested. We have class on Friday. They are ready.