{"id":273142,"date":"2026-09-06T03:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273142"},"modified":"2026-09-06T03:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T08:00:27","slug":"be-negative-questions-a1-a1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/blog\/be-negative-questions-a1-a1\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn A1 English: How to Form &#8216;Be&#8217; Negative Sentences and Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>To make sentences with the verb <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> negative, we add <span data-no-translation>not<\/span> after <span data-no-translation>is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>are<\/span>.<\/strong> Par exemple, <span data-no-translation>He is not from Spain<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>They are not happy<\/span>. We often use contractions like <span data-no-translation>isn&#8217;t<\/span> et <span data-no-translation>aren&#8217;t<\/span>. To ask a &#8216;yes\/no&#8217; question, we change the word order: <span data-no-translation>Is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>Are<\/span> comes before the subject. For instance, <span data-no-translation>Is she a student?<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>Are they friends?<\/span> For &#8216;Wh-&#8216; questions, the &#8216;Wh-&#8216; word comes first, then <span data-no-translation>is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>are<\/span>, then the subject, as in <span data-no-translation>Where is he from?<\/span> et <span data-no-translation>Who are they?<\/span> Short answers use the verb <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> without contractions for positive answers, like <span data-no-translation>Yes, he is<\/span>, but use contractions for negative ones, like <span data-no-translation>No, she isn&#8217;t<\/span>.<\/div>\n<h2>How do we make &#8216;be&#8217; negative for &#8216;he&#8217;, &#8216;she&#8217;, and &#8216;they&#8217;?<\/h2>\n<p>To make a sentence negative with the verb <span data-no-translation>be<\/span>, we simply add the word <span data-no-translation>not<\/span> after <span data-no-translation>is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>are<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For <span data-no-translation>he<\/span> et <span data-no-translation>she<\/span>, we use <span data-no-translation>is not<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>For <span data-no-translation>they<\/span>, we use <span data-no-translation>are not<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We often use shorter forms called contractions in everyday English. These are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>is not<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>isn&#8217;t<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>are not<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>aren&#8217;t<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 Apprenez l'anglais gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la m\u00e9thode mixte<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">Petits groupes \u00b7 Tuteur IA disponible 24 h\/24, 7 j\/7 \u00b7 Pr\u00e9paration aux examens de Cambridge<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">Plans provenant de <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> par mois<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">R\u00e9servez votre cours<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>How do we ask 'yes\/no' questions with 'be'?<\/h2>\n<p>To ask a question that can be answered with 'yes' or 'no', we change the word order of the sentence. We put <span data-no-translation>Is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>Are<\/span> at the beginning.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>La structure est la suivante : <span data-no-translation>Is\/Are + subject (he\/she\/they) + rest of the sentence?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When someone asks a 'yes\/no' question with <span data-no-translation>be<\/span>, you can give a short answer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pour les r\u00e9ponses positives, utilisez <span data-no-translation>Yes, + subject + is\/are<\/span>. Do not use contractions here.<\/li>\n<li>Pour les r\u00e9ponses n\u00e9gatives, utilisez <span data-no-translation>No, + subject + isn't\/aren't<\/span>. We usually use contractions here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How do we ask 'Wh-' questions with 'be'?<\/h2>\n<p>'Wh-' questions ask for specific information, not just 'yes' or 'no'. Common 'Wh-' words include <span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>what<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, et <span data-no-translation>when<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>La structure est la suivante : <span data-no-translation>Wh- word + is\/are + subject (he\/she\/they) + rest of the sentence?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<caption>Summary of &#x27;Be&#x27; Forms for He, She, They<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Objet<\/th>\n<th>Positive<\/th>\n<th>Negative<\/th>\n<th>Yes\/No Question<\/th>\n<th>Wh- Question Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>He<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>He is happy.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>He isn't happy.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Is he happy?<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Where is he?<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>She<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>She is a student.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>She isn't a student.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Is she a student?<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Who is she?<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>They<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>They are friends.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>They aren't friends.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Are they friends?<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>What are they?<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Exemples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He isn't from Italy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She is not a doctor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>They aren't sad.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Is he happy? Yes, he is.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Is she a teacher? No, she isn't.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Are they students? Yes, they are.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Where is he?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Who is she?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>What are they?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Entra\u00eenement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-964\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"964\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"B01 L3 GRAMMAR be: he \/ she \/ they negative and questions\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-whatsapp\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#3DB16A,#1f8a4c);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83d\udcac Vous avez besoin de conseils personnalis\u00e9s ?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">En tant que centre de pr\u00e9paration agr\u00e9\u00e9 par Cambridge, nous pouvons vous aider \u00e0 choisir la formation et la certification qui vous conviennent. Discutez-en d\u00e8s aujourd'hui avec nos conseillers.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/51980473286?text=Hi%2C%20I%27m%20interested%20in%20Langcom%27s%20courses%20and%20would%20like%20some%20guidance%20choosing%20the%20right%20one.\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#1f8a4c;\">Discutez avec un conseiller sur WhatsApp<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones<\/h2>\n<h3>Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones<\/h3>\n<p>When learning English, Spanish speakers sometimes make specific mistakes with <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> negative and questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Missing Subject Pronoun:<\/strong> In Spanish, you often don't need a subject pronoun. In English, you always need one.\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect : <span data-no-translation>Is happy?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Correct : <span data-no-translation>Is he happy?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Incorrect Word Order for Questions:<\/strong> In English, the verb <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> moves to the beginning for questions.\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect : <span data-no-translation>He is happy?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Correct : <span data-no-translation>Is he happy?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using Contractions in Positive Short Answers:<\/strong> We do not use contractions for positive short answers.\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect : <span data-no-translation>Yes, he's.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Correct : <span data-no-translation>Yes, he is.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>'Not' in the Wrong Place:<\/strong> Le mot <span data-no-translation>not<\/span> always comes after <span data-no-translation>is<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>are<\/span>.\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect : <span data-no-translation>Not he is happy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Correct : <span data-no-translation>He is not happy.<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>He isn't happy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Questions fr\u00e9quemment pos\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<h3>What does the verb 'be' mean?<\/h3>\n<p>Le verbe <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> means \"ser\" or \"estar\" in Spanish. It helps us talk about who someone is, what something is, where someone is, or how someone feels.<\/p>\n<h3>Why do we use contractions like 'isn't' and 'aren't'?<\/h3>\n<p>Contractions are very common in spoken English and in informal writing. They make sentences sound more natural and help you speak more quickly.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I always say 'is not' or 'are not' instead of 'isn't' or 'aren't'?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, you can. The full forms <span data-no-translation>is not<\/span> et <span data-no-translation>are not<\/span> are always correct. They are often used in more formal writing or when you want to emphasize the 'not'.<\/p>\n<h3>Do these rules apply to 'I' and 'you' too?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the basic idea is similar. For <span data-no-translation>I<\/span>, on utilise <span data-no-translation>am not<\/span> (<span data-no-translation>I'm not<\/span>) and for questions, <span data-no-translation>Am I...?<\/span> For <span data-no-translation>you<\/span>, on utilise <span data-no-translation>are not<\/span> (<span data-no-translation>you aren't<\/span>) and for questions, <span data-no-translation>Are you...?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Le\u00e7ons associ\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=272804\">Be: present simple forms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=272806\">Be: present simple forms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=272978\">Be: present simple forms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=272979\">Be: present simple forms<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To make sentences with the verb be negative, we add not after is or are. For example, He is not from Spain or They are not happy. We often use contractions like isn&#8217;t and aren&#8217;t. To ask a &#8216;yes\/no&#8217; question, we change the word order: Is or Are comes before the subject. For instance, Is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":273960,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Be: present simple forms","langcom_cefr":"A1","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What does the verb 'be' mean?\", \"a\": \"The verb <span data-no-translation>be<\/span> means \\\"ser\\\" or \\\"estar\\\" in Spanish. It helps us talk about who someone is, what something is, where someone is, or how someone feels.\"}, {\"q\": \"Why do we use contractions like 'isn't' and 'aren't'?\", \"a\": \"Contractions are very common in spoken English and in informal writing. They make sentences sound more natural and help you speak more quickly.\"}, {\"q\": \"Can I always say 'is not' or 'are not' instead of 'isn't' or 'aren't'?\", \"a\": \"Yes, you can. The full forms <span data-no-translation>is not<\/span> and <span data-no-translation>are not<\/span> are always correct. They are often used in more formal writing or when you want to emphasize the 'not'.\"}, {\"q\": \"Do these rules apply to 'I' and 'you' too?\", \"a\": \"Yes, the basic idea is similar. For <span data-no-translation>I<\/span>, you use <span data-no-translation>am not<\/span> (<span data-no-translation>I'm not<\/span>) and for questions, <span data-no-translation>Am I...?<\/span> For <span data-no-translation>you<\/span>, you use <span data-no-translation>are not<\/span> (<span data-no-translation>you aren't<\/span>) and for questions, <span data-no-translation>Are you...?<\/span>\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"To make sentences with the verb be negative, we add not after is or are. 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