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Rules›Not vs No

Not vs No

A2

Use not with an auxiliary verb: do not know. Use no directly before a noun: no money, no time, no idea.

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What you'll learn

  • Choose not after an auxiliary verb.
  • Put no directly before a noun.
  • Use any after not instead of no.
  • Match not + any and no patterns with the same meaning.
  • Recognize common short expressions with no.

Structure

subject + auxiliary + not + main verb + any + noun

Use not after the auxiliary. If a noun follows, use any, not no.

subject + verb/be + no + noun

Use no directly before the noun. Do not add not in the same pattern.

Build a sentence

Subject
Noun
Idonothaveanymoney

I do not have any money.

Use not after do. Before the noun, choose any.

When to use

Same meaning

I do not have any money and I have no money mean the same thing. One uses not + any; the other uses no + noun.

After do / be / have / can

If an auxiliary is already in the sentence, use not after it: do not know, is not ready, cannot come.

Before a noun

Use no directly before a noun when you want a short negative noun phrase: no time, no answer, no problem.

Markers

no problemno ideano wayno reasonno time

Common mistakes

Wrong
I do no have any money.
Correct
I do not have any money.
After do, use not. No does not follow an auxiliary here.
Wrong
Maria has not money.
Correct
Maria has no money.
Before a noun, use no, not not.
Wrong
Tom doesn't need no help.
Correct
Tom doesn't need any help.
After doesn't, use any before the noun. No creates a double negative in standard English.
Wrong
There is not reason to leave.
Correct
There is no reason to leave.
Use no directly before the noun reason.
Wrong
Not problem, I can wait.
Correct
No problem, I can wait.
This short expression uses no, not not.

Common misconceptions

❝ I do not have any money and I have no money mean different things every time. ❞

In many everyday sentences, they mean the same thing. The main difference is the structure: not + any versus no + noun.

❝ After do, I can use no because the sentence is negative. ❞

After do, use not: do not, does not, did not. No goes before a noun, not after an auxiliary.

Skills in this rule (5)

USE_NOT_WITH_AUXILIARYw5

Use not after an auxiliary verb

Use not when the sentence already has an auxiliary like do, does, did, is, are, was, were, have, or can. Not comes after that auxiliary, not before the noun.

USE_NO_BEFORE_NOUNw5

Use no directly before a noun

Use no before a noun to make the noun phrase negative: no money, no time, no idea. No works like a negative word inside the noun phrase.

CHOOSE_ANY_AFTER_NOTw4

Use any after not when the noun stays positive

After do not, does not, did not, or other negative auxiliaries, use any before the noun: not any money, not any tickets. Do not combine not with no in the same standard sentence.

SEE_EQUAL_MEANING_PATTERNSw3

Recognize pairs with the same meaning

Some ideas can be said with not + any or with no: I do not have any money = I have no money. The structure changes, but the meaning stays the same.

USE_NO_IN_COMMON_EXPRESSIONSw2

Use no in common short expressions

Use no in fixed patterns like no problem, no idea, and no way. These short expressions do not need not.

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