How can I recognise and use the negative form?

At GCSE level, in the reading texts and audio passages, people often give their opinion. Learn the following structures as they will give you a good idea about whether people like something or not. Ne pas = not. Ne jamais = never. Ne plus = not anymore Ne que = only. So, ‘ne’ expresses a negative, and this is useful to listen out for to identify the speaker/author’s feelings towards something. Tip: the negative form sandwiches the verb! Let’s say the verb is ‘marcher’ (to walk), in the negative form it would be written or said as: Je ne marche pas (I do not walk). Do you see how the verb is sandwiched between 'ne' and 'pas'? Look at this table and translate the sentences below it: Je bois = I drink. Je ne bois pas = I don’t drink Je ne bois rien = I don’t drink anything Je ne bois jamais de bière = I never drink beer Je ne bois plus = I don’t drink anymore Je ne bois que de l’eau = I only drink water Translate: I never drink coke. I don’t like meat. I don’t eat anything. I only eat vegetables. I don’t eat meat anymore. 

Answered by Molly F. French tutor

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