Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Affirmative And Negative Forms
10 questions · exam conditions
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Affirmative And Negative FormsQuestion 1 of 10

James is talking about his weekend. He says: 'I am going to the park. My sister   going with me because she   feel well.'

Which pair of words correctly fills in both blanks using the appropriate negative and affirmative 'be' and 'do' forms?

isn't / doesn't
don't / isn't
aren't / don't
isn't / don't
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Affirmative And Negative Forms

Practice Affirmative And Negative Forms in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Affirmative And Negative Forms, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

James is talking about his weekend. He says: 'I am going to the park. My sister   going with me because she   feel well.'

Which pair of words correctly fills in both blanks using the appropriate negative and affirmative 'be' and 'do' forms?

  1. isn't / doesn't (correct answer)
  2. don't / isn't
  3. aren't / don't
  4. isn't / don't
Explanation: When filling in blanks like these, you need to match the helping verb to the subject and choose the right verb family — "be" verbs (is, are, am) or "do" verbs (does, do) — based on what follows each blank. Look at the first blank: "My sister   going with me." The subject is "my sister," which is third-person singular (she/he/it). The word "going" after the blank tells you this needs a "be" verb — specifically the negative form "isn't" (is + not). This rules out choice B ("don't"), which uses a "do" verb incorrectly here, and choice C ("aren't"), which is plural and would match "they," not "she." Now the second blank: "she   feel well." The verb "feel" is a base verb with no "-ing" ending, so this requires a "do" verb, not a "be" verb. For third-person singular, the correct negative is "doesn't." This confirms that choice A — "isn't / doesn't" — is correct. Looking at the wrong answers: B ("don't / isn't") puts a plural "do" verb where a "be" verb belongs and reverses the order entirely. C ("aren't / don't") uses plural forms for both blanks, but "my sister" is singular. D ("isn't / don't") gets the first blank right but uses "don't" instead of "doesn't" for the second — a common mistake, since "doesn't" is required for he/she/it subjects. A helpful tip: whenever you see "-ing" after a blank, think "be verb." Whenever you see a base verb (feel, eat, go), think "do verb." Matching the verb type to what follows the blank will save you on questions like this.

Question 2

David and his wife are talking: David: 'You always forget to buy milk!' His wife: 'That   true! I   forget. I bought milk yesterday!'

Which pair correctly fills both blanks so that David's wife uses the appropriate negative forms to disagree?

  1. isn't / don't (correct answer)
  2. aren't / doesn't
  3. isn't / doesn't
  4. don't / don't
Explanation: When making negative statements in English, you need to match the helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) to the subject of the sentence. This question tests whether you can choose the right negative helping verb for each blank. Look at the first blank: "That   true." The subject here is "That," which is singular. To make "to be" negative with a singular subject, you use isn't (is + not). This confirms that the first blank needs isn't. Now the second blank: "I   forget." The subject is "I," and the verb "forget" is a regular action verb — not a "to be" verb. To make action verbs negative, you use do not or don't with the subjects I, you, we, and they. So "I don't forget" is correct. That makes A) isn't / don't the right answer. Here's why the other options fail: B) aren't / doesn't uses aren't, which belongs with plural subjects like "they" or "we," not with "That." It also uses doesn't, which pairs with he, she, or it — not with "I." Both words are wrong. C) isn't / doesn't gets the first blank right, but doesn't is for third-person singular (he/she/it), not for "I." D) don't / don't uses don't in the first blank, but don't is for action verbs — "That is true" uses to be, so you need isn't, not don't. A helpful tip: always ask two questions — What is the subject? and Is this a "be" verb or an action verb? Those two answers will always point you to the correct negative form.

Question 3

Maria works at a bakery every morning. She wakes up at 5 a.m. and bakes bread.

Maria's friend says, 'Maria wakes up late every day.' Which sentence correctly contradicts this statement using a negative form?

  1. Maria doesn't wakes up late every day.
  2. Maria don't wake up late every day.
  3. Maria doesn't wake up late every day. (correct answer)
  4. Maria not wake up late every day.
Explanation: When making a negative sentence in English simple present tense, you need the helping verb "do" or "does" — and the main verb must stay in its base form. The subject determines which helping verb to use: "do" goes with I, you, we, they, and "does" goes with he, she, it (and names like Maria). Since Maria is a singular third-person subject (she), the correct negative helper is "doesn't" (does + not). After "doesn't," the main verb returns to its simple base form — so "wake," not "wakes." Putting this together gives you "Maria doesn't wake up late every day," which is answer C. This correctly contradicts the friend's statement using proper grammar. Here's why the other choices fail: A uses "doesn't" correctly but then keeps the "-s" ending on "wakes" — a very common mistake. Remember, when "does" carries the grammar, the main verb drops the "-s." B uses "don't" instead of "doesn't" — this would only be correct if the subject were "I, you, we, or they," not a singular name like Maria. D skips the helping verb entirely, writing "Maria not wake up," which is not grammatically complete in English — you cannot form a negative sentence by placing "not" directly after the subject without a helping verb. A useful tip to remember: "does" steals the 's' from the verb. When you write "doesn't," the main verb loses its ending — doesn't wake, doesn't work, doesn't eat. Keep this pattern in mind whenever you build negative sentences with he, she, or it.

Question 4

Look at this short conversation: Carlos: 'Are you and your brother coming to the party?' Lena: ' . We have to work.'

Which response correctly completes Lena's sentence using the appropriate negative short answer?

  1. No, we aren't. (correct answer)
  2. No, we don't.
  3. No, I'm not.
  4. No, we isn't.
Explanation: When answering a yes/no question in English, your short answer must match the helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) used in the original question. Carlos asks, "Are you and your brother coming?" — so the helping verb is "are," and your response needs to use that same verb. Since Lena is speaking for both herself and her brother, she needs "we" as the subject. The negative short answer pairs "we" with "aren't" (the contracted form of "are not"), giving us "No, we aren't." This is why A is correct — it matches both the subject and the helping verb from the question. B ("No, we don't") uses "don't," which belongs to simple present tense questions like "Do you work on Saturdays?" Carlos's question uses "are...coming" (present continuous), not "do," so "don't" is the wrong helping verb entirely. C ("No, I'm not") gets the verb right but uses "I" instead of "we" — Carlos asked about Lena and her brother, so a complete answer should represent both of them. D ("No, we isn't") is a grammar error: "isn't" pairs with singular subjects like "he," "she," or "it," never with "we." A helpful tip to remember: whenever you see a yes/no question, circle the helping verb and the subject before choosing your short answer. Your response should echo that same helping verb in its negative or positive form. Matching the verb in the question to the verb in your answer is the key pattern to watch for on this exam.

Question 5

Read this note from Ana to her roommate: 'I am home tonight. My parents are not visiting this weekend. Please do not call me after 10 p.m.'

Which sentence from Ana's note uses the negative form of the verb 'be' correctly?

  1. 'I am home tonight' — because 'am' is the correct negative form of 'be' for 'I.'
  2. None of the sentences use the negative form of 'be,' so there is no correct example in the note.
  3. 'Please do not call me after 10 p.m.' — because 'do not' is the correct negative form of 'be' for commands.
  4. 'My parents are not visiting this weekend' — because 'are not' is the correct negative form of 'be' for the plural subject 'my parents.' (correct answer)
Explanation: When working with the verb "be," you need to know two things: its forms (am, is, are) and how to make each one negative. To make "be" negative, you simply add "not" directly after it — no helper verb needed. So "am" becomes "am not," "is" becomes "is not," and "are" becomes "are not." Looking at Ana's note, the sentence "My parents are not visiting this weekend" fits this pattern perfectly. "My parents" is a plural subject, which correctly pairs with "are," and adding "not" immediately after creates the negative form. This makes D the right answer. Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A is a trap — "I am home tonight" is a positive statement, not a negative one. The word "am" alone is not a negative form; it's just the regular present tense of "be" for the subject "I." B is wrong because Ana's note does contain a correct example of the negative "be" form — you just found it in option D. Saying "none" exist is simply inaccurate. C points to "do not call," which is actually the negative form of the action verb "call," not the verb "be." Commands that use "do not" belong to a different grammar category altogether. A handy tip to remember: the verb "be" forms its negative on its own — just add "not" right after (am not, is not, are not). If you see "do not" or "does not," that signals a regular action verb, never the verb "be."

Question 6

A student writes this sentence: 'They not have a car.' What is the BEST correction to make the sentence grammatically correct in the simple present negative form?

  1. They haven't a car.
  2. They don't have a car. (correct answer)
  3. They doesn't have a car.
  4. They not having a car.
Explanation: When making a negative sentence in the simple present tense, English requires a helping verb — specifically "do" or "does" — combined with "not," followed by the base form of the main verb. The subject "they" is plural, which means you always use "do," not "does." The correct fix is B) They don't have a car. The structure is: they + do + not + have, which contracts naturally to "don't have." This follows the standard rule: subject + do/does + not + base verb. Let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A) They haven't a car uses "haven't," which comes from British English and sounds unnatural in standard American English — the target for most ESL learners in the U.S. It also misuses "have" as a helping verb in a way that doesn't fit modern everyday speech. C) They doesn't have a car is a subject-verb agreement error. "Doesn't" is only used with third-person singular subjects like he, she, or it — not with they, which is plural. D) They not having a car keeps the original mistake of skipping the helping verb entirely and incorrectly uses the "-ing" form, which signals a continuous action, not a simple present negative statement. A helpful tip: memorize this simple formula for present negative sentences — I/You/We/They + don't + base verb and He/She/It + doesn't + base verb. Never drop the helping verb "do/does" in a negative sentence, and always keep the main verb in its base form after it.

Question 7

A beginner student wants to change this affirmative sentence to a negative sentence: 'My children go to school by bus.' Which sentence shows the correct negative transformation?

  1. My children goes not to school by bus.
  2. My children don't go to school by bus. (correct answer)
  3. My children doesn't go to school by bus.
  4. My children are not go to school by bus.
Explanation: When making a negative sentence in English, the key rule is: use a helping verb (auxiliary verb) + "not." For present simple tense with "he/she/it," you use doesn't; for "I/you/we/they," you use don't. The subject here is "my children," which is plural (they), so the correct helping verb is don't. The main verb then returns to its base form: "go" — not "goes." This makes B) "My children don't go to school by bus" the correct answer. Now let's look at why the others fail. A) places "not" after the main verb ("goes not") — this word order is not how English negatives work; you must use a helping verb before "not," not attach "not" directly to the main verb. C) uses doesn't, which is only correct for singular subjects like "she," "he," or "it." Since "my children" is plural, doesn't is wrong here — a very common mistake, so watch for it. D) uses "are not go," which incorrectly mixes the verb "to be" with "go." The verb "to be" is used for descriptions (e.g., "they are happy"), not for action verbs like "go" in the simple present. A helpful tip: before choosing don't or doesn't, always identify your subject first. Plural subjects (we, they, you, I) → don't. Singular third-person subjects (he, she, it) → doesn't. This one check will help you avoid the most common error on these transformation questions.

Question 8

Which sentence is written in the correct simple present AFFIRMATIVE form for a third-person singular subject?

  1. He study English every night at the library.
  2. He is study English every night at the library.
  3. He do study English every night at the library.
  4. He studies English every night at the library. (correct answer)
Explanation: When working with simple present tense in English, the most important rule to remember is how the verb changes depending on who is doing the action. For third-person singular subjects — he, she, it, or a single person's name — you must add -s or -es to the base verb. This is one of the most tested grammar rules at the beginner level. Choice D, "He studies English every night at the library," is correct. The verb "study" ends in a consonant + y, so you drop the y and add -ies, giving you studies. This follows the standard spelling rule for third-person singular verbs in the simple present affirmative — no helping verbs needed, just the correctly conjugated main verb. Choice A uses the base form "study" without any ending. This is a common mistake — it works for I or you or they, but not for he, she, or it. Choice B adds "is" before "study," which creates a present continuous structure (He is studying), not simple present affirmative. Adding "is" also changes the meaning — it would describe something happening right now, not a regular habit. Choice C inserts "do" before the base verb, which is a structure used in questions or negatives ("Does he study?") and never in affirmative statements. A quick tip: whenever the subject is he, she, or it, always check that your main verb has the correct ending — -s, -es, or -ies. If you see a helping verb like is or do in an affirmative sentence, that's a signal something may be wrong.

Question 9

A teacher writes this on the board: 'He doesn't eats lunch at school.' A student says the sentence has one error. Where is the error, and what is the correct sentence?

  1. The error is 'doesn't.' The correct sentence is: 'He don't eat lunch at school.'
  2. The error is 'lunch.' The correct sentence is: 'He doesn't eat a lunch at school.'
  3. The error is 'eats.' The correct sentence is: 'He doesn't eat lunch at school.' (correct answer)
  4. The error is 'at school.' The correct sentence is: 'He doesn't eats lunch in school.'
Explanation: When you see a question about negatives in English, focus on how helping verbs (like does, do, did) work with main verbs. This is a very common grammar topic for beginners. In English, when you use "doesn't" (does + not), the main verb that follows must be in its base form — the simple, unchanged version. "Doesn't" already carries the third-person singular meaning, so the main verb should NOT add an -s or -es ending. The correct sentence is: "He doesn't eat lunch at school." The word "eats" is the error because it incorrectly adds -s after "doesn't." Choice A is wrong for two reasons. First, "don't" is used with I/you/we/they — not with "he." Second, even if "don't" were correct here, it would still require the base form "eat," which A actually does use — but the subject-verb agreement is still wrong for "he." Choice B is wrong because "lunch" is not the error. The word "lunch" is used correctly as an uncountable noun and does not need the article "a." Changing "lunch" to "a lunch" actually creates a new error rather than fixing one. Choice D is wrong because "at school" is a perfectly acceptable prepositional phrase. Changing it to "in school" does not fix anything, and the original error — "eats" — remains uncorrected. A helpful rule to remember: "doesn't" + base verb, always. If you ever see "doesn't" followed by a verb ending in -s or -es, that's your error. Practice spotting this pattern in sentences with he, she, and it.

Question 10

Which sentence uses BOTH an affirmative and a negative form correctly in the same sentence?

  1. She likes coffee, but she don't like tea.
  2. She likes coffee, but she doesn't like tea. (correct answer)
  3. She like coffee, but she doesn't likes tea.
  4. She likes coffee, but she not like tea.
Explanation: When a sentence uses the word "but" to connect two ideas — one positive and one negative — you need to make sure the verb in each part follows the correct grammar rule for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it). In present tense, these subjects need an -s on the verb in affirmative sentences (she likes), and they use doesn't (not don't or not) before the base verb in negative sentences. Answer B is correct because both clauses follow these rules perfectly: "She likes coffee" uses the affirmative form correctly (likes = base verb + s), and "she doesn't like tea" uses the negative form correctly (doesn't + base verb, no extra -s). Looking at the other choices, A uses don't instead of doesn't — a very common mistake. "Don't" is used with I, you, we, and they, but with she/he/it, you must use doesn't. Answer C makes two errors: "she like coffee" is missing the required -s (likes), and "doesn't likes" adds an incorrect -s after doesn't — the verb after doesn't is always the base form. Answer D uses "she not like," which skips the helping verb entirely; in English, you cannot make a negative sentence in present tense by simply inserting "not" alone. A helpful tip: whenever you see she, he, or it as the subject, remember the pattern — affirmative gets -s (likes), negative gets doesn't + base verb (doesn't like). Never combine doesn't with an -s verb.