No or Not? English Grammar Lesson
Updated: Feb 20
Do you know when to correctly use no and not? For ESL students these words can be puzzling because they are both used to indicate a negative. If you find yourself often making mistakes or getting confused when it comes to these two words, don’t worry! You’re not alone. Follow the grammar rules outlined in this blog and you’ll never mix up the two again!
No + Noun
No can be used before a noun without an article (a, an, the). This means there is none of something.
Examples:
There was no food in the refrigerator.
There is no way out.
No + Adjective
No can also be used before nouns that are modified by adjectives without an article.
Examples:
There are no good players on their team.
There were no cold drinks.
Yes/No Questions
No is used to answer yes or no questions.
Examples:
Have you eaten dinner yet?
No.
Are you coming to the party?
No, I can’t come.
No + Gerund
Lastly, no is used before gerunds.
Examples:<