18.Short-form negative

18.1 Change the following to the negative.

1. He does his work by himself, doesn't he. (i.e. He doesn't do his work by himself, does he).
2. Need he go there after all? (i.e. He needn't go there after all).
3. That needs a lot of thinking about. (That doesn't need ...).
4. He used to come and see me every day.
5. Guy Fawkes used bombs to try to blow up Parliament.
6. I'm used to funny people like you.
7. He had to use a dictionary for his translation.
8. They used to have two cows and a lame donkey.
9. I had it put in the dining-room.
10. He has a pair of new boots.
11. He has a par of new boots every day.
12. He has to stay here all day, (2 answers: opposite or prohibition).
13. He has eaten his breakfast.
14. He had his breakfast before nine o'clock.
15. He had a very pleasant journey here.
16. The Victorians had influenza like the people of today.
17. A pyramid has five sides.
18. I had some trouble in finding where you lived. (when to use in).
19. I had to have someone to show me the way from the station (opposite here, not negative.
20. Dare he jump from a first-floor window like this?

Note the negative of MUST is needn't.

• He needn't do that, need he? Yes I'm afraid he must.
• Must I go now? No, you needn't

This distinction is also made in the "have to" forms

• OBLIGATION - He must go, he has to go, he has got to go.
• NO OBLIGATION - He needn't go, he doesn't need/have to go, he hasn't got to go.
• PROHIBITION - He mustn't go, He isn't to go.

Examples

• My doctor says I'm not (=mustn't) to eat meat, but I don't have to (or havn't got to) (=needn't) take her advice if I don't want to
• I've told my husband he isn't to (mustn't) smoke in the drawing room (i.e. prohibition).
• I don't have to (havn't got to) tell my husband such things, he is a born gentleman (i.e. no obligation).
• My mother says I mustn't he out after eight o'clock (i.e. prohibition), but I havn't got to (don't have to ) do what she tells me (i.e. no obligation).