The Present Simple Negative of Be: Practice Exercises with Answers

The Present Simple Negative of Be Exercises

The present simple negative of be is made with:

  • am not/’m not
  • is not/isn’t
  • are not/aren’t

Examples:

  • I am not a doctor.
  • She isn’t at home.
  • They aren’t late.

Now try these exercises to practice!

To Be in the Present Simple Negative Exercises

Quiz Time For English Learners: Present Simple Negative Be Exercises
Present Simple Negative Be Exercises

Part A – Complete the sentences

Write the correct negative form of be.

  1. I ______ (not/be) tired.
  2. She ______ (not/be) Italian.
  3. They ______ (not/be) at work today.
  4. He ______ (not/be) my uncle.
  5. We ______ (not/be) hungry.

Part B – Correct the mistakes

Each sentence has an error with be. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. I isn’t late. → ______
  2. She aren’t my teacher. → ______
  3. They isn’t from Spain. → ______
  4. You am not very tall. → ______
  5. He not is at home. → ______

Part C – Mini-dialogue practice

Complete the sentences in the dialogue with the negative form of be.

  1. A: Are you a doctor?
       B: No, I ______.
  2. A: Is John your brother?
       B: No, he ______.
  3. A: Are we late for the class?
       B: No, we ______.
  4. A: Is this your bag?
       B: No, it ______.
  5. A: Are they from Canada?
       B: No, they ______.

Part D – Short story exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct negative form of be.

This is my friend Emma. She ______ (not/be) from London; she is from Manchester. Her parents ______ (not/be) teachers; they are engineers. Emma and I ______ (not/be) classmates, but we are neighbors. Her brother ______ (not/be) very old—he is only 3! He _____ (not/be) old enough to go to school.

Part A
1. ’m not/am not
2. isn’t/are not
3. aren’t/are not
4. isn’t/is not
5. aren’t/are not
Part B
6. I’m not late.
7. She isn’t my teacher.
8. They aren’t from Spain.
9. You aren’t very tall.
10. He isn’t at home.
Part C
11. ’m not/am not
12. isn’t/is not
13. aren’t/are not
14. isn’t/is not
15. aren’t/are not
Part D
16. She isn’t/is not
17. Her parents aren’t/are not
18. Emma and I aren’t/are not
19. Her brother isn’t/is not
20. He isn’t/is not

💡 Tips & Common Mistakes with Be in the Negative

Recap
  1. Never say “amn’t” in standard English.
    ❌ I amn’t tired. → ✅ I’m not tired.
  2. Use “isn’t” and “aren’t” correctly.
    • isn’t = he, she, it, singular nouns.
    • aren’t = you, we, they, plural nouns.
  3. Contracted forms are natural in spoken English.
    • “She is not” → “She isn’t here” = “She’s not here.”
    • “They are not” → “They aren’t ready” = “They’re not ready.”
  4. Be careful with word order.
    ❌ He not is at home. → ✅ He isn’t at home.
  5. Remember “I’m not” is the only negative form with “am”.
    • “I am not” (formal)
    • “I’m not” (common)
    • but ❌ “I amn’t” (not used).

More on the present simple of the verb to be!

Tags: Exercises on Present Tenses
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