Affirmative to Negative Without Changing Meaning
1. Only (Person) → None but
2. Only (Thing) → Nothing but
3. Only (Age / Number) →Not more than / Not less than
- Only Allah can help us → None but Allah can help us.
- Only tea is available → Nothing but tea is available.
- Only 10 students passed → Not more than 10 students passed.
4. Always → Never (with opposite meaning)
- He always tells the truth → He never tells a lie.
- She is always punctual → She is never late.
5. Every → There is / was no ......... but
- Everyone loved him → There was no one but loved him.
6. Must / Have to / had to / Can / Could → Cannot but / Could not but
- I had to help him → I could not but help him.
- You must agree → You cannot but agree.
7. As soon as → No sooner had ...... than
- As soon as he reached, it rained → No sooner had he reached than it rained.
8. Both ...... and → Not only... but also
- He is both intelligent and honest → He is not only intelligent but also honest.
9. Too ...... to → So ..... that ( Sub + cannot / could not + v)
- He is too tired to walk → He is so tired that he cannot walk.
10. Superlative → Positive
- He is the best boy in the class → No other boy in the class is as good as he.
11. As ......... As → Not less ........... than
- He is as poor as the farmer → He is not less poor than the farmer.
12. Statement Sentence → Sub + H.V + not + Adj. (with opposite meaning)
- He tells the truth → He does not tells a lie.
- She is punctual → She is not late.
13. Very few → Not many
- Very few students passed → Not many students passed.
📝 Practice Exercise
- Only Rina can help. → ________
- He always obeys. → ________
- Everyone liked her. → ________
- You must cry. → ________
- The boy is too weak to run. → ________
✔ Answers:
None but Rina can help.
He never disobeys.
There was no one who didn’t like her.
You cannot but cry.
The boy is so weak that he cannot run.
None but Rina can help.
He never disobeys.
There was no one who didn’t like her.
You cannot but cry.
The boy is so weak that he cannot run.