Present Simple Negative: How to Say ‘No’ (Pre-A1 English Grammar)

Raúl Maguiña

Fundador de Langcom | Examinador de Cambridge y del SIELE

julio 22, 2026

PRE-A1✏️ Gramática⏱️ 3 minutos de lectura
To make a sentence negative in the Present Simple, we use don’t o doesn’t before the main verb. This is how we say that something is not true, or that we do not do an action regularly. We use don’t for subjects like I, you, we, y they. Por ejemplo, I don’t like coffee. Utilizamos doesn’t for subjects like he, she, y it. For instance, She doesn’t live here. Remember, the main verb always stays in its base form (without -s) after don’t o doesn’t. This structure is essential for basic communication in English.

What is the Present Simple Negative?

The Present Simple Negative tells us what we do not do or what is not true.

It is for daily routines, facts, or things you don’t like.

  • I don’t eat meat. (This is a fact about me.)
  • She doesn’t work on Sundays. (This is her routine.)

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How do we form the Present Simple Negative?

Utilizamos do not o does not with the base form of the verb.

  • Subject + do not / does not + base verb.

The short forms are don’t y doesn’t. These are very common in spoken English.

When do we use ‘don’t’?

Utilizamos don’t when the subject is:

  • I
  • You
  • We
  • They

The verb after don’t is always the base form (e.g., like, play, go).

When do we use ‘doesn’t’?

Utilizamos doesn’t when the subject is:

  • He
  • She
  • It

The verb after doesn’t is also always the base form. Remember, we do not add ‘-s’ to the verb here.

What are the short forms?

In English, we often use short forms to speak faster and sound more natural.

  • do not becomes don’t
  • does not becomes doesn’t

Both long and short forms are correct, but short forms are more common in everyday conversation.

Present Simple Negative Form
Subject Negative Form Verb (Base Form)
I don’t like
You don’t like
He doesn’t like
She doesn’t like
It doesn’t like
We don’t like
They don’t like

Ejemplos

  • I don’t like tea.
  • You don’t speak French.
  • He doesn’t live in London.
  • She doesn’t play tennis.
  • It doesn’t rain much here.
  • We don’t watch TV in the morning.
  • They don’t work on Saturdays.

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Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes

A common mistake for Spanish speakers is to put no directly before the verb, like in Spanish.

  • Incorrecto: I no like coffee.
  • Correcto: I don’t like coffee.

Another mistake is to add ‘-s’ to the verb after doesn’t.

  • Incorrecto: She doesn’t likes pizza.
  • Correcto: She doesn’t like pizza.

Always remember to use don’t o doesn’t and the base form of the verb.

Preguntas más frecuentes

What does ‘don’t’ mean?

Don’t is the short form of do not. It means ‘not do’ or ‘not have’ for actions and facts in the present.

What does ‘doesn’t’ mean?

Doesn’t is the short form of does not. It means ‘not do’ or ‘not have’ for actions and facts in the present, specifically for he, she, y it.

Can I say ‘do not’ instead of ‘don’t’?

Yes, you can say do not. It means the same as don’t. Do not is more formal, while don’t is more common in everyday speaking and informal writing.

Why do we use ‘do’ or ‘does’ in negative sentences?

In English, do y does are ‘helper verbs’ for negative sentences and questions in the Present Simple. They help us make the sentence negative with not. We cannot just put not after the subject.

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Sobre el autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña es el director de la Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizado de preparación para el examen Cambridge English en EE.UU.. Con más de una década de experiencia en la enseñanza de idiomas y la certificación internacional, ha ayudado a miles de estudiantes, profesores e instituciones educativas de 25 países a conseguir las certificaciones de inglés de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL y Michigan.

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