5.1.1 - Affirmative Statement

Using Affirmative Sentences

Although not essential to conveying clear thought, it would be rather odd if you spoke in only negative sentences, arriving at a point only by denying all other options—such as saying, “The person isn’t a boy,” when you really mean, she’s a girl, or “The house pet is not a bird, reptile, fish, or dog” when you really mean it’s a cat. Using the negative in these cases convolutes the sentences; it’s better to simply make affirmative statements: “She’s a girl,” or “The house
pet is a cat.”

For that reason, most sentences are formed—like this one—as affirmative, unless the speaker or writer is deliberately contradicting a differing point or opinion. Unless you are trying to say “no,” your sentence is likely to be affirmative in form.

Interestingly, the rule of double negatives applies to affirmative sentences as well, meaning that if you say, “I am not not going to the movies,” the sentence is affirmative because the meaning of “not not” doing something is that you are doing something.

ACTIVITIES

Form affirmative statement using the given word or phrase by arranging them in proper word order:

Q1. the science apply only can for students the post.
A: Only students can apply for the science post.

Q2. delicious cakes my mother makes.
A: My mother makes delicious cakes.

Q3. my own I destiny determine.
A: I determine my own destiny.

Q4. am practicing I basement the drums in the
A: I am practicing the drums in the basement.

Q5. the drink water cold is too for me to
A: The cold water is too cold for me to drink.