la négation

Image: Seychelles

Negation = the contradiction of some or all of the meaning of an affirmative (positive) sentence. In English, a sentence is commonly negated by inserting a single negative word (not, don't, didn't, won't , etc.) into the appropriate place in the sentence. 

In French, a sentence is commonly negated by inserting two words: ne...pas, for example.

Basic negation

Ne ... pas is placed around the conjugated verb to negate an affirmative sentence in French. Note that the ne changes to n' before a verb beginning with a vowel. 

Simple verbs (verbs with only one part, like the present and the imparfait): negation goes around the verb. 

Composed verbs (tenses with two verbs, like the futur proche and the passé composé):  negation goes around the auxiliary verb. 

Infinitives:  Usually, the two parts of negation come before an infinitive.