To be negatives and questions: is it your bag? To be exercises for negatives and short answers
About this lesson
This A1 drill lesson gives to be negatives and questions exercises: not after am, is or are, the verb first in a question, and short answers like No, I'm not.
- Grammar
- I'm not, isn't / 's not, aren't / 're not, Am I…?, Is it…?, Are you…?, yes answers without a short form, and What's…?, Where…?, How old…?
- Topic
- A lost bag at a Chicago airport: Priya's texts to Owen, the desk of an invented airline, the agent's call the next morning and Priya's happy post.
- Activities
- Sorting, choices, gap-fills, drag-and-drop dialogues, word order, tables, a memory game, matching, mistake quizzes, a chat with Owen and a final test.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: to be in negatives and questionsGrammar schemeTry it
- Read the sentences: are they correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: am not, isn't or aren't?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the short formFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Negatives: isn't, aren't, I'm not
- Choose the right negativeChoose the optionTry it
- Write the negative: correct the sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Lena's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: negative sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: short and full negativesFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read Carlos's profile and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Questions: Am I? Is it? Are you?
- Sort the questions: Am, Is or Are?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right questionChoose the optionUnlock
- Make questions: write Am, Is or Are and the subjectFill in the gapsTry it
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: sentence and questionMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the right question: What's…? Where…? How old…?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: write the questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4Short answers: Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
- Choose the right short answerChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the short answersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchTry it
- Read the phone call and drag the short answers into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake in the short answerQuizUnlock
- Fill in the table: questions and short answersFill in the tableUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: A lost bag
- Read Priya's chat with OwenReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the chat again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the dialogue at the airline desk and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the phone call and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Priya's post and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Owen texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right negative: at the officeChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the negative: a school tripFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right question: at the train stationChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the questions: a birthday partyFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: negatives at the zooUnjumbleUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questions at the zooUnjumbleUnlock
- Sort the sentences: right or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right short answer: yes or noChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the short answers: people and placesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answers: a new schoolMatchUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: question and short answerMemory gameUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read Fatima's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Rita's note and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Grammar: to be in negatives, questions and short answers
To say no, put not after am, is or are: Owen isn't at work. To ask, move the verb in front of the subject: Is it your bag? A short answer repeats only the pronoun and the verb: Yes, I am. No, she isn't.
To be: negatives and questions
Say no with not after am / is / are. Ask with Am / Is / Are first. Answer with a short answer.
Negatives: I'm not, isn't, aren't
There is no amn't: it's I'm not or I am not. Is not and are not each have two short forms: He isn't = He's not, We aren't = We're not.
Negative: am / is / are + not
subjectam / is / arenot
I'm not tired.
Owen isn't at work.
We aren't from Chicago.
Every person: + − ?
| Who | Positive (+) | Negative (−) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am ready. · I'm ready. | I am not ready. · I'm not ready. | Am I ready? |
| you | You are ready. · You're ready. | You are not ready. · You aren't ready. · You're not ready. | Are you ready? |
| he | He is ready. · He's ready. | He is not ready. · He isn't ready. · He's not ready. | Is he ready? |
| she | She is ready. · She's ready. | She is not ready. · She isn't ready. · She's not ready. | Is she ready? |
| it | It is ready. · It's ready. | It is not ready. · It isn't ready. · It's not ready. | Is it ready? |
| we | We are ready. · We're ready. | We are not ready. · We aren't ready. · We're not ready. | Are we ready? |
| they | They are ready. · They're ready. | They are not ready. · They aren't ready. · They're not ready. | Are they ready? |
Questions: Am, Is or Are comes first
Turn a statement into a question by swapping the subject and the verb: Priya is at the airport. → Is Priya at the airport? So You are cold? becomes Are you cold?
Am / Is / Aresubjectthe rest + ?
You are tired. → Are you tired?
Priya is at the airport. → Is Priya at the airport?
It is your bag. → Is it your bag?
Short answers: Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
Answer with the pronoun and am, is or are: Is Owen at home? Yes, he is. A yes answer never ends in a short form, so Yes, I'm is wrong. A no answer can: No, he isn't. No, I'm not.
| Question | Yes (+) | No (−) |
|---|---|---|
| Am I right? | Yes, you are. | No, you aren't. |
| Are you new here? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is Owen at home? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn't. |
| Is your mom at work? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn't. |
| Is it your phone? | Yes, it is. | No, it isn't. |
| Are you and your sister twins? | Yes, we are. | No, we aren't. |
| Are they from Texas? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
What's…? Where…? How old…?
Four fixed questions start with the question word, then the verb, then the subject: What's your last name? Where are they from? How old is your brother? Where is the bus stop?
- What's your last name? (What's = What is)
- Where are they from? — They're from Ohio.
- How old is your brother? — He's nine.
- Where is the bus stop? · Where are my keys?
- The question word, then am / is / are, then the subject. (Not: Where they are from? How old your brother is?)
Common mistakes
Watch for I amn't sleepy, She not is at home, I'm no busy and Is your aunt at home? Yes, he is. The pronoun in the answer matches the noun in the question: an aunt is she.
Common mistakes
I amn't sleepy.
I'm not sleepy.
no amn't: I'm not or I am not
She not is at home.
She isn't at home.
not comes after am / is / are
You are cold?
Are you cold?
a question: am / is / are comes first
Are you sad? Yes, I'm.
Are you sad? Yes, I am.
a yes short answer has no short form
not, short answers and question words
not, never no: I'm not busy. He isn't here. (Not: I'm no busy. He no is here.) Short answers: the right pronoun and am / is / are: Is your aunt at home? Yes, she is. (Not: Yes, he is. Yes, she are. Yes, she's.) No, she isn't = No, she's not. No, I'm not. (Not: No, I amn't.) Question words: Where is he from? (Not: Where he is from?)
Examples
- I'm not from Chicago. I'm from Ohio.negative, then positive
- My parents aren't at home. They're at work.negative, then positive
- Is the coffee hot? No, it isn't. It's cold.question and short answer
- Are you OK? Yes, I am. Thanks!question and short answer
- Are your friends from Canada? Yes, they are.question and short answer
More lessons on this grammar: Verb to be lessons and exercises · Questions lessons and exercises
Try the to be negatives and questions exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 39 auto-checked exercises
- 6 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- say no with not after the verb: I'm not from Brazil. The soup isn't salty, not I amn't or She not is
- make a question with am, is or are first: You are bored. → Are you bored? Is your dad at work?
- answer with the right pronoun and the full verb in a yes: Is your mom a teacher? Yes, she is, not Yes, she's
- ask Where are you from? and How old is he? with the verb before the subject, not Where you are from?
- Grammar:
- to be · negatives · yes/no questions · short answers
- Topic:
- grammar practice · travel · airport · lost bag
Teaching tips
- Fix false facts: say things like Ice is hot or Bananas are blue, and students correct you with a negative and a true sentence: No! Ice isn't hot. It's very cold.
- Guess the classmate: one student secretly picks a classmate, and the others ask yes/no questions, Is it a girl? Is she from Spain?, which get short answers only.
- Act out the airline desk: after the drag-and-drop dialogue, pairs play Priya and Mr. Ruiz with a bag of their own color and size: Is it black? No, it isn't. It's green.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1
English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course
- 1To be: I am, you are, she is
- 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
- 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
- 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
- 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
- 6A, an, the: a new apartment
- 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
- 8Have and has: she has a dog
- 9Present simple: she works, they work
- 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
- 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
- 12In, on, at: times, days and months
- 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
- 14Can and can't: I can swim
- 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
- 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
- 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
- 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
- 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
- 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
- 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
- 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
- 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
- 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?