Interchangeable Sentence Use: Affirmative to Negative & Vice – Verse

Affirmative to Negative & Vice-Versa: Interchangeable Sentence Use

Rule-1: Only used as a Modifier—-(adjective/adverb) is changed into Negative:

1. None but [for indicating a person] + the remaining part.
2. Nothing but [before the thing indicated] + the remaining part.
3. Not more than/not less than  [before age/number]
4. Only being before a verb, use—and no one else/ and nothing else—at the end.
5. Only indicating an idea, use——-not be certain about
6. Only being before a Day/Date,  use—-no longer ago than/no longer before than
7. Only denoting a specific work of a specific day, use—–not until
8. Use——no longer ago/not longer before in place of Only just.

Such as:

A: Only Allah can help us.

N: None but Allah can help us.

A: Only Karim can do the sum.

N: None but Karim can do the sum.

A: I have only a few books.

N: I have nothing but a few books.

A: She was only 23 years old.

N: She was not more than 23 years old.

A: I only saw Rumy.

N: I saw Rumy and no one else.

A: They only saw some crows.

  N: They saw some crows and nothing else.

A: Only five people were hurt in the accident.

N: Not more/not less than five people were hurt in the accident.

A: We can only guess.

N: We cannot be certain about what happens.

A: He came here only yesterday.

N: He came here no longer ago than yesterday.

A: They come here only on Thursday.

N: They do not come here until Thursday.

A: We have only just arrived.

N: We have not long ago/before arrived.

A: He is making promises only he keeps them.

N: He is not making promises except that/but he keeps them.[too]

Rule-2: Alone denoting a person———-use :

1. None but [at the beginning of the negative]+ the remaining part.
2. Not with a companion[ in place of alone if it means lonely]
3. Without the help of others[ if alone denotes only one]
4. Nothing but[ if alone denotes a thing]

Such as:

A: Allah alone can help us.

N: None but Allah can help us.

A: I like going out alone after dark.

N: I don’t like going out with a companion after dark.

A: It will be difficult for one person alone.

N: It will not be easy for one person without the help of others.

A: Time alone will say.

N: Nothing but time will say.

Rule-3:  We use—–cannot but/cannot help+ verb-ing  [ for must/have to/has to/be+ obliged to/compelled to/bound to] As,

A: We must do the work.

N: We cannot but do the work.

A: We have to die.

N: We cannot but die/We cannot help dying.

A: They have to help the poor.

N: They cannot but help the poor/They cannot help helping the poor.

A: He has to go to school now.

N: He cannot but go to school now.

A: I am obliged to do the work.

N: I cannot but do the work.

A: Karim is compelled to work hard.

N: Karim cannot but work hard.

A: The ship is bound to move ahead.

N: The ship cannot but move ahead.

Rule-4: We use—-could not but/could not help+ verb-ing    [ for: had to/was bound to/was obliged to/was compelled to/were bound to/were compelled to/were obliged to] As,

A: I had to do the work.

N: I could not but do the work.

A: They were bound/compelled/obliged to take T.C

N: They could not help taking T.C

Rule-5: Both—–and/and —- is changed into Negative replacing by not only———–but also.

A: He took coffee and ice cream.

N: He took not only coffee but also ice cream.

A: He is weak in English and Mathematics.

N: He is weak not only in English but also in Mathematics.

A: Both You and I did the work.

N: Not only you but also I did the work.

 Note: Adjectives are followed by———not only—but also;

     Verbs are followed by——-not only—but also;

     Subjects being different and action being the same——not only at the beginning.

Rule-6: Affirmatives with—–as soon as —- are changed into negatives by the following Structures:

1. No sooner had +subject+ past participle + the next part + than + the 2^nd part unchanged.[past indefinite]
2. Hardly had subject + past participle + the next part + before + the 2^nd part unchanged.[past indefinite]
3. Scarcely had subject + past participle + the next part + when + the 2^nd part unchanged.[past indefinite]

Such as,

• A:  As soon as he saw the police, he ran away.
• N: No sooner had he seen the police than he ran away.

Or, Hardly had he seen the police before he ran away.

Or, Scarcely had he seen the police when he ran away.

[ meaning, the same]

Rule-7: Affirmatives begun by—Every—–are changed into Negatives in two ways:

• There is no[ for: every] +the next word[ after every]+ but+ verb to the ending.
• There is no +the next word +who/which +the 2^nd part also negative.

Such as:

• A: Every rose has thorns.
• N: There is no rose but has thorns./there is no rose which has no thorns./there is no rose without thorns.
• A: Every mother loves her child.
• N: There is no mother but loves her child./there is no mother who does not love her child./No mother hates her child.

Rule-8: Simple affirmatives are changed into negatives by adding—–not—after the Auxiliary verbs and the—Opposite word/Antonym——-for the next main word.[use——at all—at the end of the sentence for——-very/very much/extremely/seriously]

• A: I love you very much.
• N: I do not hate you at all.
• A: I shall remember you.
• N: I shall not forget you.
• A: He is a good student.
• N: He is not a bad student.
• A: They hate smoking seriously.
• N: They do not like/love smoking at all.

Rule-9: Affirmatives of Universal Truth are changed into Negatives by adding——not+ except/but/without+ the last word. As,

• A: Milk is white.
• N: Milk is not except/but/without white.
• A: Health is wealth.
• N: Health is not except/but/without wealth.
• A: The sun sets in the west.
• N: The sun does not set in without the west.

 Note: Dear Learners, if you are asked to convert/change such sentences of Universal Truth into Negative, use this method. Never change into—Negative-Interrogative.

 Rule-10: in affirmative, always becomes never in the negative+ opposite word/antonym of the next word.

 The next main word. Such as,

• A: He always obeys his teachers.
• N: He never disobeys his teachers.
• A: I shall always agree with you.
• N: I shall never disagree with you.

Rule-11:

1. Many              becomes             not a few;
2. Few/a few           ,,                      not many;
3. Little/a little        ,,                      not much;
4. Much                    ,,                       not a little.

Examples:

A: I have many books.

N: I have not a few books.[ number]

A: I have a few books.

N: I have not many books.

A: There is a little water in the glass.[quantity]

N: There is not much water in the glass.

A: There is much water in the glass.

N: There is not a little water in the glass.

Rule-12: Subject +Verb + too +Adjective/Adverb + to+ main Verb +extension —–is changed into Negative in the following way———

 Subject + Verb + so+ adjective/Adverb +that + Subject + cannot or may not/could not or might not + main verb +extension.  Such as,

• A: He is too weak to walk.
• N: He is so weak that he cannot walk.
• A:  She is too dull to understand the simple matter.
• N: She is so dull that she cannot understand the simple matter.

 Note: Subject being different——–for +me/him/her/them/you/us—is changed into the Nominative case.

• A: The load was too heavy for him to carry.
• N: The load was so heavy that he could not carry [it]

Rule-13: Sometimes/at times/often/frequently———in the affirmatives become———always in the negative preceded by ‘ no/not’.

• A: He sometimes pays a visit.
• N: He does not always pay a visit.
• A: He often violates the law.
• N: He does not always obey/abide by the law

Or, He hardly obeys/abides by the law.

Rule-14: Sup: Subject+ verb+ one of the+ superlative form of adjective +object/extension.

Negative/pos: Very few +object/extension+ Plural form of the verb +as/so + positive form of the adjective+ as +Subject.( one of the— is dropped)

Examples:

• A: London is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
• N: Very few cities in the world are as/so beautiful as London.
• A: Della is one of the best housewives.
• N: Very few housewives are so good as Della.
• A: The boy was one of the brightest students in the class.
• N: Very few students in the class were as bright as the boy.
• A: Mango is one of the sweetest fruits.
• N: Very few fruits are as sweet as mango.

Rule-15: Sup: Subject+ verb +the +superlative form of the adjective+ Object/extension.

 Pos: No other + object/extension + verb (unchanged) +as/so +Positive form of the adjective +as +subject.

 Note: Drop out– of all— and use the singular form of the noun & –the– is dropped.

 Examples:

• A: He is the strongest boy in the class.
• N: No other boy in the class is as good as he.
• A: Mutton chop was the cheapest of all dishes on the menu.
• N: No other dish on the menu was so cheap as mutton chop.
• A: He is the worst boy in the class.
• N: No other boy in the class is so bad as he.

Rule-16: comparative with only ‘than’ being affirmative is converted into positive in the negative and negative into affirmative.

 The structure is: The last part after than+ verb (not) +as/so +positive form of the adjective+ as +the 1^st subject.

 Examples:

• A: The tiger is stronger than the bear.
• N: The bear is not as strong as the tiger.
• N: He is not more intelligent than his brother.
• A: His brother is as strong as he.

Rule-17:Comparative/Negative– with no less/not less——-than is converted into positive/affirmative ———replacing no less/not less by — as ….. as. [ as for no less/not less & as for than]

Examples:

• Com/negative: He is not less strong than you.
• Pos/affirmative: He is as strong as you.
• Com/negative: She is not less beautiful than you.
• Pos/affirmative: She is as beautiful as you.

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