Negative sentences

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

Tiruvarur Tiruvarur District

We barely have sufficient food for all of us Nathan hardly listen to meBuses seldom stop here oftenHe scarcely come late to schoolRajan rarely writes to his mother

A negative sentence (or statement) states that something is not true or incorrect. A negative adverb has to be added in order to negate or “cancel” the validity of the sentence.

Hardly, rarely, scarcely and seldom are frequency adverbs.

We can use them to refer to things that almost never happen, or do not happen very often.

They have a negative meaning. We use them without not.

Rarely, scarcely and seldom are more common in writing than in speaking

Hardly and scarcely can mean ‘almost not at all’ or ‘only just’.

 Hardly is much more common than scarcely, and scarcely is more formal

We usually put these adverbs in mid position, between the subject and main verb, after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after main verb be.

In more formal styles, we put them in front position and invert the subject and verb.

If there is no auxiliary or modal verb, we use do/does/did.

Neutral Formal

She hardly ever went on holiday.

I had seldom seen so many people out on the streets.

Things are rarely as bad as you think they’re going to be.

Hardly ever did she go on holiday.

Seldom had I seen so many people out on the streets.

Rarely are things as bad as you think they’re going to be.

Hardly ever had I seen a snake.A) I have seen a snakeB) I had not seen a snake oftenC) I had seen a snake often

Which of the above sentences convey the correct meaning of the first sentence?

The right answer is B

No one can forget the picture.A) Everyone cannot remember the pictureB) Everyone can forget the pictureC) Everyone can remember the picture

Which of the above sentences convey the correct meaning of the first sentence?

The right answer is c, Double negative in a sentence will convey a positive meaning.

Seldom my brother make mistake.A) My brother don’t make mistakeB) My brother used to make mistakeC) My brother didn’t make mistake

Which of the above sentences convey the correct meaning of the first sentence?

The right answer is c, Try to understand the basic meaning of the sentence.

Negative sentences Meanings

Nothing is impossible. There will be hardly

enough water during summer.

Seldom he comes home late

Can anyone be more patient than a mother

I play tennis rarely

Everything is possible. There will not be

sufficient water during summer.

He rarely comes home late.

No one can be more patient than a mother

I do not play tennis frequently

ByH. Ulaganathan, GHSS, Panagudi.

R. Sivaguru, GHSS, Avoor.K. Chandra Bose, GHS, Keeranur.

K. Shanmuga Suhdaram, GHS, Pamani.T. Srinivasan, GHSS, Kodikalpalayam.