The negative form of the sentence "My father works in this factory" is "My father does not work in this factory."
Understanding Simple Present Negatives
To form the negative of a sentence in the simple present tense, especially for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), we use the auxiliary verb "do" or "does" followed by "not" and the base form of the main verb.
- For subjects like "I," "you," "we," "they," we use "do not" (or "don't").
- For subjects like "he," "she," "it," or singular nouns like "My father," we use "does not" (or "doesn't").
A crucial rule to remember is that after "does not," the main verb always reverts to its base form. This means any '-s' or '-es' ending that was present in the affirmative simple present tense is removed.
Key Components of Simple Present Negation:
- Subject: Who or what is performing the action.
- Auxiliary Verb: "do" or "does."
- Negation: "not."
- Base Form of Main Verb: The verb without any endings (e.g., work, like, go, play).
- Rest of the Sentence: The object, adverb, or other parts.
Step-by-Step Negation for "My Father Works in This Factory"
Let's break down the process for the given sentence:
- Identify the Subject: "My father" (third-person singular).
- Identify the Verb: "works."
- Choose the Correct Auxiliary Verb: Since the subject "My father" is third-person singular, we use "does."
- Add "not": Combine the auxiliary with "not" to get "does not."
- Change the Main Verb to its Base Form: The base form of "works" is "work."
- Combine all parts: My father + does not + work + in this factory.
This results in the grammatically correct negative sentence: "My father does not work in this factory."
Affirmative vs. Negative Examples
Here's a table illustrating how simple present tense sentences are made negative:
| Affirmative Sentence | Negative Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| My father works in this factory. | My father does not work in this factory. | "My father" is singular, so "does not" is used, and "works" becomes "work". |
| She likes her history teacher. | She does not like her history teacher. | "She" is singular, so "does not" is used, and "likes" becomes "like". |
| They live in the city. | They do not live in the city. | "They" is plural, so "do not" is used, and "live" remains "live". |
| I understand the lesson. | I do not understand the lesson. | "I" uses "do not," and "understand" remains "understand." |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A frequent error made when forming negatives in the simple present, particularly with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), is to retain the '-s' or '-es' ending on the main verb after 'does not'. For instance, saying or writing "My father does not works in this factory" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form always uses the base form of the main verb, like 'work', 'like', 'go', etc., after "do not" or "does not."
