Level 04 – Step 09 : Negative Questions — Reactions and Nuance (Don’t you care? Isn’t she kind?)
/Level 04 – Step 09 : Negative Questions — Reactions and Nuance (Don’t you care? Isn’t she kind?)
＜🚪 Let’s Begin＞
/＜🚪 Let’s Begin＞
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn about negative questions and how they can show surprise, expectation, or a friendly check.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn about negative questions and how they can show surprise, expectation, or a friendly check.
🐧Igupen: Negative questions sound tricky — do they mean the same as regular questions?
/🐧Igupen: Negative questions sound tricky — do they mean the same as regular questions?
🦉Professor Owl: Ho Ho Ho.
/🦉Professor Owl: Ho Ho Ho.
Not always.
/Not always.
Negative questions often ask for confirmation, show surprise, or gently challenge someone.
/Negative questions often ask for confirmation, show surprise, or gently challenge someone.
Let’s listen and try the examples.
/Let’s listen and try the examples.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is a negative question?
/What is a negative question?
A negative question is a question that uses a negative form (don’t, doesn’t, isn’t, didn’t, won’t, etc.).
/A negative question is a question that uses a negative form (don’t, doesn’t, isn’t, didn’t, won’t, etc.).
It often asks for confirmation (You’ve finished, haven’t you?), shows surprise (Don’t you like cake?), or expresses expectation (Shouldn’t we go now?).
/It often asks for confirmation (You’ve finished, haven’t you?), shows surprise (Don’t you like cake?), or expresses expectation (Shouldn’t we go now?).
Tone and context change the meaning a lot — the same words can be gentle, surprised, or slightly sharp.
/Tone and context change the meaning a lot — the same words can be gentle, surprised, or slightly sharp.
Common negative question forms and their feelings
/Common negative question forms and their feelings
Don’t / Doesn’t: surprise, checking (Don’t you care?)
/Don’t / Doesn’t: surprise, checking (Don’t you care?)
Isn’t / Aren’t / Wasn’t / Weren’t: expectation or polite surprise (Isn’t she kind?)
/Isn’t / Aren’t / Wasn’t / Weren’t: expectation or polite surprise (Isn’t she kind?)
Didn’t: surprise about past action (Didn’t you call?)
/Didn’t: surprise about past action (Didn’t you call?)
Shouldn’t / Mustn’t / Can’t: expectation, advice, or strong surprise (Shouldn’t we ask first?)
/Shouldn’t / Mustn’t / Can’t: expectation, advice, or strong surprise (Shouldn’t we ask first?)
Won’t / Wouldn’t / Couldn’t: predictions, polite challenge, or disbelief (Won’t you join us?)
/Won’t / Wouldn’t / Couldn’t: predictions, polite challenge, or disbelief (Won’t you join us?)
How to form a negative question (simple steps)
/How to form a negative question (simple steps)
Choose auxiliary or verb to use (do/does/did, be, will, should, etc.).
/Choose auxiliary or verb to use (do/does/did, be, will, should, etc.).
Make it negative (don’t/doesn’t/didn’t/isn’t/shouldn’t/etc.).
/Make it negative (don’t/doesn’t/didn’t/isn’t/shouldn’t/etc.).
Put the negative auxiliary before the subject.
/Put the negative auxiliary before the subject.
Add the main verb or complement.
/Add the main verb or complement.
Example: You care → Don’t you care?
/Example: You care → Don’t you care?
Example with be: She is kind → Isn’t she kind?
/Example with be: She is kind → Isn’t she kind?
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
Listen to the speaker’s tone.
/Listen to the speaker’s tone.
A falling tone often expects a short confirmation (Yes), while a rising tone can make the question more curious or softer.
/A falling tone often expects a short confirmation (Yes), while a rising tone can make the question more curious or softer.
Practice saying the same negative question with different tones to see how the meaning changes.
/Practice saying the same negative question with different tones to see how the meaning changes.
Quick checks inside the lesson
/Quick checks inside the lesson
Confirmation: You called him, didn’t you? → expects “Yes, I did.”
/Confirmation: You called him, didn’t you? → expects “Yes, I did.”
Surprise: Don’t you like pizza? → shows surprise that someone doesn’t like it.
/Surprise: Don’t you like pizza? → shows surprise that someone doesn’t like it.
Expectation/advice: Shouldn’t we wait for Mom? → suggests waiting is expected.
/Expectation/advice: Shouldn’t we wait for Mom? → suggests waiting is expected.
Polite challenge: Wouldn’t that be better? → asks for agreement in a gentle way.
/Polite challenge: Wouldn’t that be better? → asks for agreement in a gentle way.
＜🌼 Sample Sentences＞
/＜🌼 Sample Sentences＞
No.01 Don’t you care?
/No.01 Don’t you care?
No.02 Isn’t she kind?
/No.02 Isn’t she kind?
No.03 Didn’t you see that movie?
/No.03 Didn’t you see that movie?
No.04 Shouldn’t we ask for help?
/No.04 Shouldn’t we ask for help?
No.05 Won’t he be late?
/No.05 Won’t he be late?
No.06 Can’t you come tomorrow?
/No.06 Can’t you come tomorrow?
No.07 Aren’t they coming with us?
/No.07 Aren’t they coming with us?
No.08 Didn’t she tell you earlier?
/No.08 Didn’t she tell you earlier?
No.09 Mustn’t we finish this today?
/No.09 Mustn’t we finish this today?
No.10 Wouldn’t you try one bite?
/No.10 Wouldn’t you try one bite?
＜🎓 Practice exercises ＞
/＜🎓 Practice exercises ＞
Note: Think first, then check the answers.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers.
Q1: Change to a negative question (surprise): You don’t like apples.
/Q1: Change to a negative question (surprise): You don’t like apples.
Q2: Change to a negative question (confirmation): She called you last night.
/Q2: Change to a negative question (confirmation): She called you last night.
Q3: Make a negative question with should for suggestion: (we / leave / now)
/Q3: Make a negative question with should for suggestion: (we / leave / now)
Q4: Make a negative question with can to offer: (you / come / help / later)
/Q4: Make a negative question with can to offer: (you / come / help / later)
Q5: True or False: Negative questions always mean the same as positive questions.
/Q5: True or False: Negative questions always mean the same as positive questions.
Q6: Choose the best negative question for expectation: A) Don’t they know? B) Do they know? C) They don’t know?
/Q6: Choose the best negative question for expectation: A) Don’t they know? B) Do they know? C) They don’t know?
Q7: Change to a past negative question: You saw Tom yesterday.
/Q7: Change to a past negative question: You saw Tom yesterday.
Q8: Make a negative question with will about the future: (she / join / the trip)
/Q8: Make a negative question with will about the future: (she / join / the trip)
Q9: Rewrite as a negative question where tone would show gentle surprise: He loves math.
/Q9: Rewrite as a negative question where tone would show gentle surprise: He loves math.
Q10: Question and choices: Which negative question asks for confirmation about a past action? A) Won’t you come? B) Didn’t you finish your homework? C) Isn’t she nice?
/Q10: Question and choices: Which negative question asks for confirmation about a past action? A) Won’t you come? B) Didn’t you finish your homework? C) Isn’t she nice?
◆ Answers
/◆ Answers
A1: Don’t you like apples? (surprise)
/A1: Don’t you like apples? (surprise)
A2: She called you last night, didn’t she? (confirmation tag) or Didn’t she call you last night?
/A2: She called you last night, didn’t she? (confirmation tag) or Didn’t she call you last night?
A3: Shouldn’t we leave now?
/A3: Shouldn’t we leave now?
A4: Can’t you come to help later? or Can you not come later?
/A4: Can’t you come to help later? or Can you not come later?
A5: False — negative questions can add surprise, expectation, or a different nuance.
/A5: False — negative questions can add surprise, expectation, or a different nuance.
A6: A is best: Don’t they know? (shows surprise/expectation)
/A6: A is best: Don’t they know? (shows surprise/expectation)
A7: Didn’t you see Tom yesterday?
/A7: Didn’t you see Tom yesterday?
A8: Won’t she join the trip? or Will she not join the trip?
/A8: Won’t she join the trip? or Will she not join the trip?
A9: Doesn’t he love math? or Doesn’t he like math? (gentle surprise)
/A9: Doesn’t he love math? or Doesn’t he like math? (gentle surprise)
A10: B is correct: Didn’t you finish your homework?
/A10: B is correct: Didn’t you finish your homework?
＜🦉 Closing ＞
/＜🦉 Closing ＞
🦉Professor Owl: Great listening and thinking today.
/🦉Professor Owl: Great listening and thinking today.
Negative questions can sound different depending on your tone and why you ask them.
/Negative questions can sound different depending on your tone and why you ask them.
🐧Igupen: I see — I can use them to check a fact, show surprise, or suggest something!
/🐧Igupen: I see — I can use them to check a fact, show surprise, or suggest something!
🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
/🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
Try speaking three negative questions today — one to check, one to show surprise, and one to suggest.
/Try speaking three negative questions today — one to check, one to show surprise, and one to suggest.
Practice the voice for each and notice how people answer.
/Practice the voice for each and notice how people answer.
Keep going — your English nuance is growing!
/Keep going — your English nuance is growing!
