Negative questions

Negative questions

Negative questions are of two kinds: contracted and uncontracted. They have different word order.

Contracted negative question

Word order: auxiliary verb + n’t + subject

• Why don’t you listen to me?
• Don’t you understand?
• Hasn’t she any friends to help her?
• Aren’t they ready?

Uncontracted negative questions

Uncontracted negative questions are more formal than contracted negative questions.
Word order: auxiliary verb + subject + not

• Why do you not listen to me?
• Do you not understand?
• Has she not any friends to help her?
• Are they not ready?

Contracted negative questions beginning with Won’t you …? Wouldn’t you…? or Why don’t you …? are very common in polite requests, invitations, offers, complaints and criticisms.

• Wouldn’t you like a cup of coffee?
• Why don’t you come and stay with us?

In a reply to a negative question, yes suggests a positive answer, and no suggests a negative answer.

• ‘Haven’t you written to her?’ ‘Yes.’ (= I have written to her.)
• ‘Haven’t you told her about us?’ ‘No.’ (= I haven’t told her about you.)