He is not here.

He isn’t here.

I cannot help you.

I can’t help you.

She is not sleeping.

She isn’t sleeping.

When we say a negative sentence, we put the word not after the first verb in a sentence. We do it for the verbs to be and can and also for the present continuous. When we speak, we often use short forms.

I do not cook.

I don’t cook.

She does not cook.

She doesn’t cook.

In the present simple we use don’t or doesn’t, when we say a negative sentence.

Examples