aiMOOC

E6 G - Negatives in different basic structures

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Einleitung

E6 G - Negatives in different basic structures

You already know many short negative forms. In this aiMOOC, you use them in school, home, sport and free-time situations.

Today’s focus: isn’t / aren’t · haven’t got · can’t · don’t / doesn’t · didn’t

Mini rule: Keep it simple. Find the helper word. Add the negative form. Use the base verb after don’t, doesn’t, can’t and didn’t.

All names, chats and situations in this course are fictional.

Look at the picture. Say two negative sentences.

Example: The students aren’t outside.

Try English first → Hint → German help → example → solution

Hint: Look for people, place and actions.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Sage, was auf dem Bild nicht so ist.

Example: The room isn’t empty.

Solution idea: The students aren’t playing football.

I can ...

After this course, you can say:

I can use isn’t and aren’t.
I can use haven’t got.
I can use can’t.
I can use don’t and doesn’t.
I can use didn’t.
I can understand and write short negative messages.

Quick start: What do you remember?

Say the missing negative form.

The dog ___ at school.
We ___ a red ball.
Mia ___ swim today.
I ___ like cold tea.
Ben ___ play yesterday.

Hint: isn’t · haven’t got · can’t · don’t · didn’t

Deutsch-Hilfe: Wähle die Form, die zum Satz passt. Noch nicht sicher? Das ist okay. Du übst alle fünf Muster gleich.

Notice

Picture 1: School

Read:

This is a classroom. It isn’t empty. The students aren’t outside. They don’t play football here.

Notice: isn’t, aren’t and don’t make the sentences negative.

Picture 2: A dog and a ball

Read:

The dog isn’t asleep. It can’t read a book. It doesn’t do homework.

Hint: After can’t and doesn’t, use the base verb: read, do.

Picture 3: On the way

Short chat:

Sam: Have we got a car?

Mia: No, we haven’t got a car.

Sam: Can we ride a bike?

Mia: Yes. But I can’t ride fast.

Understand

Five useful negative patterns

Situation	Positive idea	Negative form	Example
be	is / are	isn’t / aren’t	The room isn’t empty. We aren’t late.
have got	have got	haven’t got	We haven’t got a map.
ability	can	can’t	I can’t swim today.
present routine	do / does	don’t / doesn’t	I don’t walk to school. Mia doesn’t play chess.
finished past action	did	didn’t	We didn’t play yesterday.

One important tip: After doesn’t and didn’t, use the base verb.

Correct: Mia doesn’t play. Not: Mia doesn’t plays.

Correct: We didn’t play. Not: We didn’t played.

German help: only when you need it

isn’t / aren’t → ist nicht / sind nicht

haven’t got → haben nicht

can’t → kann nicht / können nicht

don’t / doesn’t → tun etwas nicht / machen etwas nicht; oft einfache Verneinung im Präsens

didn’t → etwas geschah nicht in der Vergangenheit

Do not translate every word. First look for the situation and the helper word.

Practise

Picture talk: football

Complete orally:

They ______ in a classroom.
They ______ got books in their hands.
They ______ sit still now.
The child in the middle ______ play alone.

Word bank: aren’t · haven’t got · don’t · doesn’t

Possible answers: They aren’t in a classroom. They haven’t got books in their hands. They don’t sit still now. The child in the middle doesn’t play alone.

Mini listening and pronunciation

Listen to the short part about negative contractions. Focus on the clear ending in isn’t, aren’t, haven’t, don’t, doesn’t, didn’t. You do not need to sound like a native speaker. Clear speech is the goal.

Suggested section: about 03:23–04:35.

Listen once. Then repeat only these forms:

isn’t – aren’t – haven’t – don’t – doesn’t – didn’t

Hint: Hear the final n’t.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Sprich langsam und deutlich. Verständlichkeit ist wichtiger als Akzentfreiheit.

Echo speaking

Read each line. Your partner answers with a negative sentence.

A: Is the classroom empty? B: No, it isn’t.

A: Have you got a skateboard today? B: No, I haven’t got one.

A: Can you fly? B: No, I can’t.

A: Do you play tennis every day? B: No, I don’t.

A: Did you watch a film yesterday? B: No, I didn’t.

Recording yourself is optional. Keep recordings private. Do not upload them unless your teacher clearly asks for it and your school rules allow it.

Reading: Mia’s short message

Message from Mia

Hi Sam, I’m at home. My homework isn’t difficult, but I haven’t got my English book. My brother can’t help me. He doesn’t know the page. I didn’t take the book home yesterday. Can you send me the page number? Mia

Answer in short English:

Is Mia at school?
Has she got her English book?
Can her brother help?
Does her brother know the page?
Did Mia take the book home?

Hint: Start with No, ...

Deutsch-Hilfe: Suche jeweils nur die passende Stelle im Text.

Short writing

Write a message with four negative sentences.

Situation: You cannot join a friend after school.

Word bank: today · bike · time · homework · football · phone · yesterday

Sentence starters:

I’m sorry, I can’t ...

I haven’t got ...

I don’t ...

Yesterday, I didn’t ...

Example:

Hi Alex, I can’t come today. I haven’t got my bike. I don’t have much time after school. Yesterday, I didn’t finish my homework. See you tomorrow!

Check: Did you use the base verb after can’t, don’t and didn’t?

Sprachmittlung: Help a visitor

A German-speaking friend says:

Ich habe heute kein Fahrrad. Ich kann nicht zum Sportplatz fahren. Gestern war ich auch nicht dort.

Tell an English-speaking friend the key information in simple English. You do not need a word-for-word translation.

Starter: My friend hasn’t got ...

Hint: Use can’t and didn’t too.

Possible solution: My friend hasn’t got a bike today. My friend can’t go to the sports field. My friend didn’t go there yesterday.

Use

Mini dialogue

Work with a partner.

A: Are you ready?

B: No, I’m not. My bag isn’t ready.

A: Have you got your sports shoes?

B: No, I haven’t got them.

A: Can you come at four?

B: No, I can’t.

A: Do you know the bus stop?

B: No, I don’t.

A: Did you check the map?

B: No, I didn’t.

Change two details and read the dialogue again.

Feedback

Use this quick check for your own sentence:

Meaning: Is the sentence really negative?
Helper: Did you choose isn’t / aren’t / haven’t got / can’t / don’t / doesn’t / didn’t?
Verb: After can’t, don’t, doesn’t and didn’t: base verb?
Clear: Can a partner understand the sentence?

Try English first. If you are stuck, use the hint. Then use German help. After that, look at an example. Check the solution last.

Use again

New picture, new sentences

Make three negative sentences about the picture or the situation.

Use three different forms.

Starter ideas:

He isn’t ...

He hasn’t got ...

He doesn’t ...

Yesterday, he didn’t ...

Do not invent private facts about the real person in the photo. Only describe visible details or make a clearly fictional example.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Choose the correct negative sentence. (The classroom isn’t empty.) (!The classroom don’t empty.) (!The classroom didn’t empty.) (!The classroom haven’t got empty.)

Choose the correct sentence for more than one person. (The students aren’t outside.) (!The students isn’t outside.) (!The students doesn’t outside.) (!The students can’t outside.)

Which sentence says that we do not have a map? (We haven’t got a map.) (!We aren’t got a map.) (!We don’t got a map.) (!We didn’t got a map.)

Which sentence is correct? (I can’t swim today.) (!I can’t swimming today.) (!I can’t swims today.) (!I can’t swam today.)

Choose the correct sentence with I. (I don’t play tennis every day.) (!I doesn’t play tennis every day.) (!I don’t plays tennis every day.) (!I didn’t plays tennis every day.)

Choose the correct sentence with Mia. (Mia doesn’t play chess.) (!Mia don’t play chess.) (!Mia doesn’t plays chess.) (!Mia didn’t plays chess every day.)

Which sentence is about a finished past action that did not happen? (We didn’t play yesterday.) (!We don’t play yesterday.) (!We didn’t played yesterday.) (!We aren’t play yesterday.)

What comes after didn’t? (the base verb) (!the past form) (!the ing form) (!the verb with s)

Which sentence is correct? (Sam doesn’t know the page.) (!Sam doesn’t knows the page.) (!Sam don’t knows the page.) (!Sam isn’t know the page.)

Which answer fits: Can you fly? (No, I can’t.) (!No, I don’t.) (!No, I didn’t.) (!No, I haven’t got.)

Memory

isn’t	is not
aren’t	are not
haven’t got	do not have
can’t	cannot
doesn’t	does not
didn’t	did not

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
isn’t	one person or thing with be
aren’t	more than one person or thing with be
haven’t got	not having something
can’t	not being able to do something
didn’t	a finished past action that did not happen

Kreuzworträtsel

isnt	Which short form means is not?
arent	Which short form means are not?
havent	Which word starts the short form for have not got?
cant	Which short form means cannot?
doesnt	Which short form is used with he, she or it in many present simple negatives?
didnt	Which short form is used for a simple negative past action?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Picture negatives: Choose one picture in this course and write three short negative sentences.
Mini speaking: Ask a partner three simple questions. Answer each question with a negative short answer.
Word bank: Make a small word bank with eight familiar words from school, home or free time. Use four of them in negative sentences.
Clear contractions: Read five short negative forms aloud. Focus on clear words, not on copying an accent.

Standard

Partner dialogue: Write a six-line dialogue with at least three different negative forms.
Short message: Write a 40–60 word message about a plan that does not work. Use can’t, haven’t got and one more negative form.
Text detective: Find all negative forms in Mia’s message. Explain in simple words why each one fits.
Simple mediation: Explain three short German negative statements to an English-speaking partner without translating word for word.

Schwer

Error check: Correct five invented mistakes such as doesn’t plays or didn’t went and explain the base-verb rule.
Change of plan: Create a one-minute role-play about a missed plan yesterday and a new plan today. Use at least four target forms.
Four-panel comic: Make a four-panel comic with fictional characters. Each panel must contain one useful negative sentence.
Partner feedback: Exchange a short text. Mark one clear sentence and one sentence to improve. Give a helpful reason.

Lernkontrolle

Choose by meaning: A friend has no bike, cannot walk far, does not know the bus stop and missed the bus yesterday. Write four suitable negative sentences using four different target forms.
Explain an error: Explain why Mia doesn’t plays football is wrong and write the correct sentence.
Past or routine: Compare I don’t play on Mondays and I didn’t play yesterday. Explain the difference in meaning with your own example.
Complete a dialogue: Write suitable negative answers to five mixed questions with be, have got, can, do and did.
Write for a real purpose: Write a short fictional message to a classmate explaining why you cannot meet today. Use at least three different negative structures.
Improve your text: Check a short text for wrong helper words and wrong verb forms. Correct the sentences and explain two corrections.

Lernnachweis

For a good learning record, show that you can:

understand the meaning of short negative sentences in familiar contexts.
choose isn’t / aren’t, haven’t got, can’t, don’t / doesn’t and didn’t.
use the base verb after can’t, don’t, doesn’t and didn’t.
speak clearly enough for a partner to understand you.
read a short message and find key negative information.
write a short supported message with several correct negative forms.
use hints and feedback to improve your own sentence.

A recording is never required for the learning record unless your teacher offers a privacy-safe school method and participation is voluntary.

If you use an AI tool outside this course, check its answer, compare it with the target forms and write the final sentence yourself. No external AI service is needed for this aiMOOC.

Can-do check

Tick for yourself:

I can use isn’t / aren’t.
I can use haven’t got.
I can use can’t + base verb.
I can use don’t / doesn’t + base verb.
I can use didn’t + base verb.
I can correct doesn’t plays and didn’t played.
I can write a short negative message.

Not yet? Go back to one picture task, then do the quiz again.

Folgekurs

Next step: E6 G - Questions in familiar basic structures

Use the same familiar contexts. Keep questions and answers short.

OERs zum Thema

The linked Wikipedia article gives wider background on English grammar. For this G-level course, you only need the five simple negative patterns practised above.

Medienhinweise

The Wikimedia Commons images used here are free or freely licensed media on Wikimedia Commons. Check the file page for the exact licence and attribution when reusing an image outside MOOCwiki.