Negative constructions

Question 1

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive.

Il me dit ne pas pleurer.

Answer 1

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive.

He tells me not to cry.

Question 2

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

Il m’a dit ne pas le faire.

Answer 2

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

He told me not to do it.

Question 3

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

Il m’a dit de ne pas me coucher.

Answer 3

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

He told me not to go to bed.

Question 4

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

Il m’a dit de ne pas y aller.

Answer 4

Negation of the infinitive: place ‘ne pas’ before the infinitive. If there is a pronoun, ‘ne pas’ precedes it.

He told me not to go there.

Question 5

ne…pas du tout

Il n’est pas du tout bête.

Answer 5

not at all

He is not at all stupid.

Question 6

ne…point

Il ne le dit point.

Answer 6

not (emphatic)

He does NOT say it.

Question 7

ne…plus

Je ne travaille plus.
Je n’ai plus de livres.

Answer 7

no longer, no more

I am no longer working.
I have no more books.

Question 8

ne…jamais

Il n’oubliera jamais ce film.

(jamais without ‘ne’ means ‘ever’)

Êtes-vous jamais allé à Paris?

Answer 8

never

He will never forget this film.

(jamais without ‘ne’ means ‘ever’)

Did you ever go to Paris?

Question 9

ne…guère

Il n’a guère le temps.

Answer 9

hardly

He hardly has the time.

Question 10

ne…aucun(e)

Il n’a aucun livre.

Je n’ai aucune idée.

Answer 10

no, not any

He hasn’t a single book.

I have no idea.

Question 11

ne…plus aucun(e)

Il n’a plus aucun livre.

Answer 11

no longer any

He no longer has any books.

Question 12

ne…que

Il n’a que deux chambres.

Il n’a lu que des journaux.

Answer 12

only

He has only two rooms.

He has read only newspapers.

Question 13

ne…rien

Il ne voit rien.

Qu’est-ce qu’il voit? Rien.

Answer 13

nothing, not anything

He sees nothing. (He doesn’t see anything.)

What does he see? Nothing.

Question 14

ne…personne

Elle ne regarde personne.

Elle n’a vu personne.

Answer 14

no one, not anyone

She is not looking at anyone. (she is looking at no one.)

She saw no one.

Question 15

Nul(le) ne…

Nul ne sait la vérité.

Answer 15

no one

No one knows the truth.

Question 16

ne…nul(le)

Nul film ne l’intéresse.

Answer 16

no, not any

No film interests him/her.

Question 17

ne…nulle part

Elle ne va nulle part.

Answer 17

nowhere, not anywhere

She is not going anywhere. (She is going nowhere.)

Question 18

ne…ni…ni

Il n’a ni père ni mère.

Il n’a écrit ni à son père ni à sa mère.

Answer 18

neither…nor

He has neither a father nor a mother.

He wrote neither to his father nor to his mother.

Question 19

Il ne veut ni lire, ni écrire, ni étudier.

Answer 19

He wants neither to read nor to write nor to study.

Question 20

ni l’un(e) ni l’autre ne…

Ni l’un ni l’autre n’est venu.

Answer 20

neither one

Neither one came.

Question 21

non plus

Il ne le sait pas. Je ne le sais pas non plus.

Answer 21

neither, either

He doesn’t know it. I don’t know it either.

Question 22

After ne…pas, ne…plus, ne…jamais use ‘de’

Je n’ai pas de livres.

Elle n’a plus d’argent.

Il ne mange jamais de tomates.

Answer 22

After ne…pas, ne…plus, ne…jamais use ‘de’

I don’t have any books.

She doesn’t have any more money.

He never eats tomatoes.

Question 23

After ne…que use du/ de la/ de l’, des

Je n’ai que des livres.

Answer 23

After ne…que use du/ de la/ de l’, des

I have only books.

Question 24

Il ne dit jamais rien à personne.

Answer 24

He never says anything to anyone.