Английский язык с нуля до продвинутого. Практический курс по приложению English Galaxy. А0. Урок 19

Summary

The lesson focuses on forming negative sentences in the present simple, especially choosing between be and do/does. The key is to identify the role of the word or phrase being negated.

1. Use be when there is no other main verb

For descriptions, states, locations, and identity, make the sentence negative with am not, isn’t, or aren’t:

• I’m not at work now.
• He isn’t happy.
• She isn’t here.
• It isn’t difficult.
• He isn’t a student.

Singular countable nouns such as student generally need an article: a student.

Adjectives also use be:

• I’m not tired.
• I’m not very tired.
• I’m not afraid of this.
• I’m not busy.
• It isn’t expensive.
• It isn’t free.
• It isn’t urgent.

2. Use don’t/doesn’t to negate an ordinary verb

When the sentence has a main verb other than be, use don’t or doesn’t:

• I don’t work every day.
• He doesn’t feel happy.
• She doesn’t live here.
• He doesn’t study.
• I don’t agree with him.
• I don’t have time now.
• It doesn’t interest me.
• She says that she doesn’t pay for it.

Use doesn’t with he, she, and it, and don’t with I, you, we, and they. After doesn’t, the main verb stays in its base form: doesn’t feel, doesn’t live, doesn’t pay—not doesn’t feels/lives/pays.

3. Distinguish a state from an action or impression

Similar meanings can require different grammar depending on the verb:

• He isn’t old describes his age; He doesn’t look old describes his appearance.
• It isn’t the same uses be; It doesn’t look the same uses look.
• He isn’t happy uses be; He doesn’t feel happy uses feel.
• She isn’t here describes her location; She doesn’t live here describes an action or situation.

Verbs such as seem and look take an adjective in these examples:

• It doesn’t seem difficult.
• He doesn’t look old.
• It doesn’t seem so easy/effective/urgent.

By contrast, when directly describing something with be, use be + adjective:

• It isn’t so easy.
• It isn’t urgent.

4. Apply the same distinction inside longer sentences

Each clause needs its own correct structure:

• He says it isn’t expensive. — isn’t is used because expensive is an adjective.
• She says that she doesn’t pay for it. — doesn’t is used because pay is a verb.
• I don’t think that it’s better. — don’t negates think; it’s uses be to describe “it.”
• He says that he isn’t afraid. — isn’t is used because afraid is an adjective.

5. Useful vocabulary and expressions

The lesson practices common phrases and points out a few grammar details:

• afraid of means “afraid of something or someone”: I’m not afraid of this.
• pay for it means to pay for something.
• cost is used in statements about price: It doesn’t cost that much money.
• Money and time are treated as uncountable in the examples: so much money, so much time. The lesson also gives this money.
• Big money is presented without an article in the example It isn’t big money.
• Mistake is countable in the example, so the phrase is a mistake.

The overall method is to first identify whether the sentence contains be, an adjective, or another main verb, then choose the appropriate negative form.

Speakers and sources featured

• One instructor/narrator presents the lesson and models the English examples. No other individual speakers are apparent.
• English Galaxy is mentioned as an app for practicing the lesson material; it is a resource, not a speaker.