1.4 Andrés's mother doesn't like cooking

The Present Simple (3rd person singular negative)

Paco knows well his own likes, hobbies and interests but he doesn't really know what to do with this huge amount of money.

One of the previous sentences is positive and the other one negative. Remember that in the Present Simple Tense we form the negative by means of the auxiliary verb DO, whose third person singular is DOES (do + es) and that the structure is:

Subject	Auxiliary	NOT	Verb (Bare infinitive)	(Indirect Object)	(Direct Object)
My friend (He/She)	DOES	NOT	read		any books.
Her sister (She)	DOES	NOT	like		horror movies.

Say some other things or actions Paco or Sofia dislike (e.g. Paco doesn't like hunting...).

Example exercise

Paco's best friend: Andrés

By Mags L Halliday. C. Commons

Here you have some information about one of Paco's best friends, Andrés and his family:

Andrés likes going to the cinema on Saturdays.
He studies English at university.
Andrés's sister washes his car every weekend.
She loves going out with her friends.
Andrés's mother cooks really well.
She can spend the whole day cooking.

Change all the information provided about Andrés by writing the sentences in the negative.

Important

The auxiliary verb DO is not used to form the negative forms of modal verbs or other auxiliary verbs such as to be. So, we say

Paco doesn't like watching all sports on TV,

but

He isn't good at Mathematics (to be)

He can't swim very well (modal verb)

Listen to this song by Mariah Carey paying special attention to negative sentences and to the third person singular.

Did you notice?

"No, I can't forget this evening" (negative sentence with a modal verb: can't).

"That's just the way the story goes" (third person singular: That's; third person singular: the story goes).

"In your eyes your sorrow shows" (third person singular: your sorrow shows).

"No, I can't forget tomorrow" (negative sentence with a modal verb: can't).

"I can't live if living is without you" (negative sentence with a modal verb: can't; third person singular: living is).

Further knowledge

The best way to improve the structure of English negative sentences is by doing lots of exercises.

Click here to write easy negative sentences.
And for further practice, click here.

Frequently, we say how often we do actions in the Present Simple tense. One of the main ways we have to say that is English is by means of adverbs of frequency. This is what we are going to study next.

	The story not goes this way.
	The story does not go this way.
	The story do not go this way.

	Paco's mother is not a good cook, either.
	Paco's mother does not be a good cook, either.
	Paco's mother not is a good cook, either.

	Andrés do not love his mother's meals.
	Andrés not loves his mother's meals.
	Andrés does not love his mother's meals.

	Paco cannot spend the whole day practising sports.
	Paco does not can spend the whole day practising sports.
	Paco not can spend the whole day practising sports.