Collins Cobuild

6
You can put ‘not’ in front of an ‘-ing’ form or a ‘to’-infinitive.
We stood there, not knowing what to do.
Try not to worry.
7
In negative questions, you use a short form.
Why didn’t she win at the Olympics?
Hasn’t he put on weight?
Aren’t you bored?
8
You can use a negative question:
• to express your feelings, for example to show that you are surprised
or disappointed
Hasn’t he done it yet?
• in exclamations
Isn’t the weather awful!
• when you think you know something and you just want someone to
agree with you
‘Aren’t you Joanne’s brother?’ – ‘Yes, I am.’
9
Note the meaning of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in answers to negative questions.
‘Isn’t Tracey going to get a bit bored in Birmingham?’ –
‘Yes.’ (She is going to get bored.)
– ‘No.’ (She is not going to get bored.)

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