NO and NOT
When to use NOT
To negate – It is used with a verb
- I do not want to go shopping today.
- Ask the CEO, do not ask the manager.
- Ask the CEO,not the manager.
- You can call me this afternoon, but do not call tomorrow morning.
- You can call me this afternoon, but not tomorrow morning.
- Do you watch horror movies? We do not watch them often!
- Do you watch horror movies? Not often!
- It’s not often that you see a dog in a stroller.
- The movie is not suitable for children under 12 years of age.
- This is not my smart phone.
- They are not busy today.
- I do not have time to call them today.
When to use NO
To say that there isn’t or there aren’t any – It is used with singular and plural nouns.
NO does not negate
- No students registered for the knitting class. (There weren’t any students who registered for the class.)
- They have no children. (They don’t have any children.)
- There is no easy way to tell her that her friends cannot visit because of the snowstorm. (It is not easy to tell her.)
- There is no gas in the car. (The car does not have any gas in it.)
- I called the client three times, but there was no answer. (There wasn’t any answer when I called.)
- There’s no milk! (There isn’t any milk.)
- No candy before dinner! (They cannot eat candy before dinner.)
- No contracts have been signed. (They haven’t signed any contracts.)
- I have no time to call them today. (I don’t have time to call.)
When to use NO and NOT in the same sentence
- Is he coming to the meeting? No, he’s not coming to the meeting.
- He is not here so there is no meeting today.
- He does not want coffee, which is good because there is no coffee.
Try the confusing words quiz!
