Questions and Negatives

What you’ll learn

Ask about actions in progress and say what is not happening.

សួរអំពីសកម្មភាពដែលកំពុងកើតឡើង និងប្រាប់ថាអ្វីមិនកំពុងកើតឡើង។

Meaning and use

Keep the -ing verb when you make a present-continuous question or negative. For a negative, put not after am, is, or are. For a yes/no question, move that form of be before the subject. For an information question, put a question word such as what before be. Do and does are not needed. Short answers usually repeat be rather than the -ing verb: Yes, she is. Do not end a positive short answer with a contraction such as she’s.

រក្សាកិរិយាសព្ទ -ing នៅពេលបង្កើតសំណួរ ឬប្រយោគបដិសេធ។ ដាក់ not ក្រោយ be សម្រាប់ការបដិសេធ ហើយផ្លាស់ be មកមុខប្រធានសម្រាប់សំណួរ។ មិនត្រូវបន្ថែម do ឬ does ទេ។ ចម្លើយខ្លីប្រើ be ដូចជា Yes, she is។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Negative	She is not reading. / She isn’t reading.
Yes/no question	Is she reading?
Information question	What are they doing?
Short answers	Yes, she is. No, she isn’t. No, I’m not.

Examples

1. I am not sleeping.

   ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងគេងទេ។

2. He isn’t working today.

   គាត់មិនកំពុងធ្វើការថ្ងៃនេះទេ។

3. Are you listening?

   តើអ្នកកំពុងស្តាប់មែនទេ?

4. What are they cooking?

   តើពួកគេកំពុងចម្អិនអ្វី?

Everyday conversation

Maly: Are you watching TV?

Dara: No, I’m not. I’m studying.

Maly: Is your sister studying too?

Dara: Yes, she is.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Does she reading now?	Is she reading now?	Use be, not does, in a present-continuous question.
They are not cook dinner.	They are not cooking dinner.	Keep the -ing form after are not.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Make a negative: He is working.
2. Make a question: They are playing.
3. Give a positive short answer: Is she reading?
4. Complete: What ___ you doing?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. He is not working. / He isn’t working.

   Put not after is.

2. Are they playing?

   Move are before they.

3. Yes, she is.

   Repeat is; do not use Yes, she’s.

4. are

   You takes are in this question.

Quick recap

• Negatives use be + not + verb-ing.
• Questions put be before the subject.
• Use be in short answers, with a full final positive form.