Page 130 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

negatives with nobody, never etc Nobody loves me.

We can make negative sentences with nobody, nothing, nowhere, never, no, hardly (='almost not')
and similar words. With these words, we do not use not or do/does/did.

Nobody loves me. (NOT Nobody doesn't love me.)
He said nothing. (NOT He-didrht-say-netbingi)
She never writes to me. (NOT She doesn't never write to me.)
I've got no money. (NOT / haven't got no moneys)
I can hardly understand him. (NOT / can't hardly understand him.)

^ Put the words in order to make sentences.

► u p father early my gets never ..fTly.If a ty p X . !rSP. ...................................

1 lives house nobody that in ..................................................................................................

2 my understand I'll dog never ..............................................................................................
3 children me the nothing told ..............................................................................................
4 money I no have .................................................................................................................
5 the could road I see hardly ..................................................................................................

^ Change the sentences.

► She didn't say anything, [nothing) ....................................................

1 I didn't see anybody, {nobody) .............................................................................................
2 We didn't have any trouble, (no) ..........................................................................................

3 My parents don't go out. [never) ..........................................................................................
4 I looked for the dog, but it wasn't anywhere in the house. (nowhere) ...................................

5 I didn't eat anything yesterday, [nothing) ...............................
6 It didn't rain for three months, (hardly) ....................................
7 John didn't speak, Mary didn't speak, Bill didn't speak. (nobody)

Make the sentences negative.

► I drink coffee, {not) ..! .$.?!*{% ?.?££??.•.........................
► I drink coffee, {never) . . ! fftr.........................

► Somebody telephoned. (nobody) ......

1 My grandmother drives fast, {never) .......................................

2 Andrew plays the guitar, {not) ................................................
3 When she talked, I understood, {nothing) ...............................
4 I like Ann's new shoes, {not) ....................................................
5 Something happened this morning, {nothing) ........................
6 There's somewhere to sit down in the station, {nowhere) ........

7 I watch TV. {hardly) ...............................
8 Somebody wants to play tennis. (nobody)

I never hated a man enough I have nothing to say, Sometime they’ll give a war
to give him diamonds back. and I am saying it, and nobody will come.
and that is poetry.
{Zsa Zsa Gabor) {Carl Sandburg)
{John Cage)

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example I'm, don't) and full QUESTIONS AND NEGATIVES 115
forms (for example lam, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.