LESSON 32 NEGATIVES (PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

(PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

LESSON 32

NEGATIVES

The answer choices for this type of item are four negative expressions, such as the ones listed below: Negative Word Use Meaning Example No none nothing no one nor without never adjectives pronoun pronoun pronoun conjunction preposition adverb not any not one not anything not anyone and … not not having at no time There was no milk in the refrigerator. They took a lot of pictures, but almost none of them turned out. There was nothing in his briefcase. No one arrived at the meeting on time. He’s never been fishing, nor does he plan to go. She likes her coffee without milk or sugar. I’ve never been to Alaska. The negative word not is used to make almost any kind of word or phrase negative: verbs, prepositional phrases, infinitives, adjectives, and so on. Both no and not can be used before nouns, depending on meaning: There is no coffee in the pot. (It’s empty.) This is not coffee. (It’s tea.) The adjective no is also used before the word longer to mean “not anymore”: I no longer read the afternoon paper. Sample Item There is almost ________ vegetation in the Badlands, a barren region of South Dakota. (A) not (B) nor (C) none (D) no The correct answer is (D). Choices (A), (B), and (C) cannot be used before nouns as adjectives. By the way, probably the most common correct answer for this type of problem is the adjective no. EXERCISE 32 Focus: Completing structure problems involving negative words (Note: ALL the items in this exercise focus on negative words.) Directions: For Sentence Completion items, mark the answer choice—(A), (B), (C), or (D)—which correctly completes the sentence. For Error Identification items, circle the underlined portion of the sentence that would not be considered correct. 1 Early carpenters, having __________ nails, had to use wooden pegs to secure their constructions. (A) no (B) not (C) without (D) neither 2 Old Faithful is the most famous but ___________ the most powerful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. (A) none of (B) no (C) nothing (D) not 3 Joseph Priestly, the discoverer (A) of oxygen, had little or not (B) interest in science (C) until he met (D) Benjamin Franklin in Paris. 4 Mobile homes were __________ counted as permanent houses until the 1960 census. (A) not (B) nor (C) no (D) none 5 Most solo musicians play __________ sheet music in front of them. (A) without (B) not having (C) lacking (D) and no 6 Desertification is the creation of deserts where __________ had existed before. (A) never (B) no one (C) none (D) not one 7 A peanut is not (A) actually a nut but (B) a legume alike (C) peas and (D) beans. 8 Glass snakes are actually legless lizards, __________ snakes. (A) no (B) not (C) nor (D) none 9 Twenty-four carat gold is no (A) 100 percent (B) gold because pure gold (C) is too soft (D) to be used in jewelry. 10 There is __________ truth to the old expression “Lightning never strikes the same place twice.” (A) without (B) none (C) no (D) no 11 ______________ single person can be said to have invented the automobile. (A) There was not a (B) Nor a (C) Not one of (D) No 12 A serious study of physics is impossible ________ some knowledge of mathematics. (A) not with (B) no (C) not having (D) without

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