Negated form without 'do' 'does'

Question

1. Which verbs can and cannot be negated without the auxiliary 'do' or 'does'?

For example:

I seem not to care = I do not seem to care

I wish not to go home = I do not wish to go home.

I need not go home = I do not need to go home

~~I feel not angry~~ = I do not feel angry

2. Are 'seem' and 'wish' in bold still main verbs, while 'need' in bold is an auxiliary?

Thanks

English 1b3 · Accepted Answer

???

Cool Breeze · Answer

English 1b31. Which verbs can and cannot be negated without the auxiliary 'do' or 'does'?

Any good grammar will inform you about that. The list and the exceptions are too long for me to deal with in detail here.

English 1b32. Are 'seem' and 'wish' in bold still main verbs, while 'need' in bold is an auxiliary?

Yes. It isn't seem that has been negated in your example. It's the infinitive: to care > not to care. Placing not before an infinitive is the normal way to make it negative: He will come. > He will not come. To be or not to be, that is the question.

That seem has not been negated in your example becomes amply clear if you replace to care with an adjective, for example: You seem not happy. (WRONG!) Unlike infinitives, adjectives have no negative forms and therefore the above sentence is incorrect.

CB

English 1b3 · Answer

Thanks, so is only seem not negated, but the others (wish and need) are negated, not the infinitive?

Negated form without 'do' 'does'

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬