Learn to Use 'To Be' in Negative Sentences (Pre-A1 English) — Pre-A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

Learn to Use ‘To Be’ in Negative Sentences (Pre-A1 English)

Raúl Maguiña

Fundador da Langcom | Examinador dos exames de Cambridge e SIELE

julho 19, 2026

PRÉ-A1✏️ Gramática⏱️ 3 minutos de leitura
To make a sentence negative with the verb to be in English, you simply add not after am, is, ou are. This structure helps you say that something is not true, not present, or not a fact. For example, if you want to say you are not a doctor, you say I am not a doctor. We also use shorter forms, called contractions, which are very common in spoken English and informal writing. For is not, we often use isn’t. For are not, we use aren’t. And for I am not, the contraction is I’m not. Understanding these forms is a key step for Pre-A1 learners to express negative ideas clearly.

What is ‘To Be’ Negative?

The verb to be is very important in English. We use it to talk about who someone is, what something is, where someone is, or how someone feels.

When you want to say that something is não true, não present, or não a fact, you use the negative form of to be.

The basic rule is simple: add not after the form of to be.

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How Do We Form Negative Sentences with ‘To Be’?

The negative form of to be changes depending on the subject (who or what the sentence is about).

  • For I, use am not.
  • For he, she, it, or a singular noun (like the dog), use is not.
  • For you, we, they, or a plural noun (like the students), use are not.

What Are Contractions with ‘To Be’ Negative?

Contractions are shorter ways to say words. They are very common in spoken English and informal writing.

Here are the contractions for the negative forms of to be:

  • I am not torna-se I’m not.
  • He is not torna-se He isn’t.
  • She is not torna-se She isn’t.
  • It is not torna-se It isn’t.
  • You are not torna-se You aren’t.
  • We are not torna-se We aren’t.
  • They are not torna-se They aren’t.
Negative Forms of 'To Be' in Present Simple
Subject Full Form Contraction
I am not I’m not
He / She / It is not isn’t
You / We / They are not aren’t

Exemplos

  • I am not tired.
  • She is not from Spain.
  • We are not at school today.
  • It isn’t cold outside.
  • They aren’t happy about the news.
  • My brother isn’t here.

Prática

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Erros comuns entre falantes de espanhol

Spanish speakers sometimes make a common mistake by putting no directly before the verb, like in Spanish.

Incorreto: I no am a student.

Correto: I am not a student. ou I’m not a student.

Remember, in English, not always comes after the form of to be (am, is, are).

Another mistake is confusing isn’t e aren’t. Always check the subject:

  • Uso isn’t for singular subjects (he, she, it, the book).
  • Uso aren’t for plural subjects (you, we, they, the books).

Perguntas frequentes

What is the rule for ‘to be’ negative?

The rule is to add not after am, is, ou are. Por exemplo, I am not, he is not, we are not.

Can I use contractions always?

You can use contractions like isn’t e aren’t most of the time, especially in speaking and informal writing. In very formal writing, it’s better to use the full forms (is not, are not).

What is the negative of ‘I am’?

The negative of I am é I am not. The common contraction is I’m not.

What is the difference between ‘is not’ and ‘isn’t’?

There is no difference in meaning. Is not is the full form, and isn’t is the contracted (shorter) form. They mean the same thing.

Sobre o autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña é diretor da Asociación Educativa Langcom, um centro autorizado de preparação para o Cambridge English em EUA. Com mais de uma década de experiência no ensino de idiomas e em certificações internacionais, ele já ajudou milhares de alunos, professores e instituições de ensino em 25 países a obter as certificações de inglês da Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL e Michigan.

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