在系动词、助动词或情态动词后加never,hardly,little,few,no one,nothing,nobody,neither,none,nowhere等否定含义的词,句子变成否定句.如 She has never been to London./ He could hardly walk by himself because of the illness./ She had little food./ Neither of them came late./ I heard nothing./ We could find it nowhere.
但是,有些形容词含否定的前后缀,句子不能称作否定句.如 That’s a useless plan./ He was unhappy.
还有dislike,disagree,without,no longer,no more,too…to…等,这些词,汉语上感觉是否定,而英语仍然认为它是肯定句.如 I dislike this idea./ We can live better without you./ He no longer lives here.