WesternAmerican  +  406963 Mon, 20 Aug 07 07:34 PM Hello guys, One of my students asked me today why isn't it possible to add a 'not' after a subject, and frankly, I couldn't really explain. She also asked me when do we add 'don't' and when do we add 'not' in a sentence. These are the example sentences that confonuded her so much: Popcorn is  not eaten by people. People don't eat popcorn. Please, enlighten me. WesternAmerican Joined on Wed, Jun 6 2007 Israel Full Member 393 I will REALLY appreciate any corrections to my posts, whether it be grammar, glossary, or just something that could elevate my style. Thank you.

	CalifJim  +  406973 Mon, 20 Aug 07 08:37 PM Note the definition:  Operators are the modals (can, could, will, would, etc.) and forms of be -- and also forms of do or have used as auxiliaries. The negative adverb not can only be carried by an operator, i.e., can only be used when accompanied by an operator.  To negate a sentence without an operator, the operator do must be added together with not.  The technical term for the addition of a form of do is do-support. Operators underlined below.  Note the third example, where negation requires do-support because the affirmative sentence has no operator. Popcorn can be eaten. > Popcorn cannot be eaten. Popcorn is eaten. > Popcorn is not eaten. People eat popcorn. > People do not (don't) eat popcorn. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,415 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Verbs, Adverbs, Negatives, Auxiliaries, Modals, Affirmative Sentences

	Yoong Liat  +  406975 Mon, 20 Aug 07 08:50 PM  WesternAmerican wrote: Hello guys, One of my students asked me today why isn't it possible to add a 'not' after a subject, and frankly, I couldn't really explain. These are the example sentences that confonuded (typo?) her so much: One of my students asked me today why it isn't possible to add a 'not' after a subject, and frankly, I couldn't really explain. confounded Yoong Liat Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006 Veteran Member 6,757

	CalifJim  +  406990 Mon, 20 Aug 07 09:22 PM Keep reading it a few times -- slowly -- step by step. Eventually it will sink in!  You have to understand what counts as an 'operator' or none of the rest of it will make sense.  Otherwise, you'll need to wait for someone else to explain it differently!  CJ CalifJim

	WesternAmerican  +  407181 Tue, 21 Aug 07 09:11 AM Jim, that you very much. I've read it a couple of times, and it finally sank in! In general, whenever I want to negate a sentence, I need to look for an operator. If I can't find an operator, I have to add a 'do' followed by a 'not' (don't) after the subject in order to negate the sentence. If I want to negate a sentence that has an operator in it, I need to add a 'not' after the operator(operator=any modal+any form of be). WesternAmerican Modals

	Loojka  +  422361 Sat, 22 Sep 07 12:48 PM Just tell your students that "not" can never stand alone, it always requires a verb. Popcorn is not eaten by people.  ( is + not ) People don't eat popcorn. ( do + not ) Loojka Joined on Sat, Jul 21 2007 Serbia, Europe Full Member 158 I'm the person your mother warned you about :) Verbs