Unit 8.2
No vs Not
Determiners - 2 minutes
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No and not convey a negative meaning for clauses, words and expressions.
Form
No and not have different position in the sentence.
We find:
- No before nouns without articles and with -ing form to mean “not any”;
- Not before nouns (with articles), adverbs, adjectives and verb. It appears also before the words any, enough, many, much.
Example
- Could you please give me some hydrogen peroxide? No way, it is dangerous for children.
- I’m a dentist, not a psychologist.
- The professor is not clearly explaining the lesson.
- The meaning is not clear.
- There are not any antibiotics in the drawer.
- There is not enough alcohol for everyone.
- Not many people can afford private health service.
- There isn’t much time left.
- No vs Not (emphasis):
- There is no thermometer in the bathroom. (More emphasis)
There is not a thermometer in the bathroom. - You have got no emails. (More emphasis)
You have not got any emails.
- There is no thermometer in the bathroom. (More emphasis)
Use
We use no and not for stating that someone/something is absent or negative. They have slightly difference in meaning.
- We use no in yes/no questions and to give more emphasis to the sentence;
- We use not for the negative form of sentences and to give less emphasis to a sentence.
{See Present Simple Negative, A1 level}
Summary
No and not are both used to obtain the negative meaning of clauses, words and expressions. {See Present Simple Negative, A1 level}
We find:
- No before nouns without articles and with -ing form to express “not any”;
- Not before nouns (with articles), adverbs, adjectives and verbs.
It also appears before the words any, enough, many or much.
For example:
— “There is no cake left.” = No can be used with nouns but without an article.
— “There is not anyone in the office.” = Not can be used with adjectives.
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
