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Meaning & use

negative questions

noun·Academictechnical

Last updated

UK/ˈneɡ.ə.tɪv ˈkwes.tʃənz/
US/ˈneɡ.ə.t̬ɪv ˈkwes.tʃənz/

“negative questions” is a form of “negative question”.

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    Questions that contain a negative word or contraction, such as Don't you like it?, which often show surprise or invite agreement.

    Grammar: Plural for the type; a single one is a negative question.

    Patterns

    • ask negative questions
    • answer negative questions

    Negative questions like Isn't she coming? often show that the speaker expected a different answer.

    Many learners find negative questions confusing when they answer yes or no.

    Negative questions can sound polite when making an offer.

  2. nounpluraltechnical

    In grammar teaching, the group of structures that use not or n't with an auxiliary verb at the start of a question.

    Grammar: Used mainly in lessons and grammar books.

    Patterns

    • negative questions in English

    Today we are practising negative questions with do and be.

    Negative questions often appear in the final unit of the textbook.

    The teacher wrote three negative questions on the board.

Word forms

singularnegative question

Common combinations

form negative questions
We learned how to form negative questions with was and were.
answer negative questions
It is tricky to answer negative questions politely.
ask negative questions
Teachers often ask negative questions to check surprise.
use negative questions
You can use negative questions to make suggestions.
tag and negative questions
Tag questions and negative questions are often compared.

Synonyms and how they differ

negative interrogatives
This is the technical grammar term and sounds more formal than negative questions.
yes/no questions
Yes/no questions are a wider group that includes both positive and negative forms.
tag questions
Tag questions add a short question at the end of a statement, while negative questions start with the negative.

Opposites

positive questions

Word family

negative adjective
expressing no or not
negation noun
the act of making something negative
negate verb
to make a statement negative or cancel something
question noun
a sentence asking for information

Commonly confused: negative questions or tag questions?

negative questions vs tag questions

A tag question like You like it, don't you? ends a statement, whereas a negative question begins with the negative.

Practice

Which sentence is a negative question?

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