present simple negative statement

To make an active voice, simple present verb → negative, use this form:

• do/does + not + [root form of verb]

The contracted form:

don’t or doesn’t

This grammar form can be used for negative:

habits, general truths, repeated actions, unchanging situations, emotions, wishes, instructions, directions, arrangements, etc.

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Which main verbs are most common after ‘don’t’?

A search in iWeb for:

do n't _V

*Note that many of these may point to A2 negative imperative

1 DON’T HAVE (negative statement about an unchanging situation)

997662

We don’t have a car.

listen

2 DON’T KNOW 934031
3 DON’T WANT 596137
4 DON’T THINK 536688
5 DON’T NEED 285746
6 DON’T GET 249353
7 DON’T LIKE 209008
8 DON’T SEE 183171
9 DON’T FORGET 157903
10 DON’T BE 137793
11 DON’T WORRY 127811
12 DON’T CARE 104686
13 DON’T UNDERSTAND 101994
14 DON’T USE 99384
15 DON’T DO 96571
16 DON’T LET 89154
17 DON’T BELIEVE 86823
18 DON’T FEEL 85862
19 DON’T MIND 67347
20 DON’T GO 65108
21 DON’T MAKE 65000
22 DON’T TAKE 63057
23 DON’T MISS 61080
24 DON’T EXPECT 54866
25 DON’T GIVE 50543
26 DON’T REMEMBER 46330
27 DON’T WORK 44892
28 DON’T SEEM 44550
29 DON’T LOOK 35263
30 DON’T TRY 33945
31 DON’T MEAN 30578
32 DON’T HESITATE 28268 (offering)

*Note that many of these are most common as negative imperatives:

If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call me.

listen

33 DON’T TELL 26551
34 DON’T COME 25571
35 DON’T BUY 25114
36 DON’T BOTHER 23504
37 DON’T ASK 23307
38 DON’T FIND 22582
39 DON’T PUT 22421
40 DON’T PAY 21227
41 DON’T SAY 21088
42 DON’T AGREE 20959
43 DON’T LEAVE 20644
44 DON’T REALIZE 19765
45 DON’T WASTE 19396
46 DON’T PLAY 18859
47 DON’T WAIT 17774
48 DON’T REQUIRE 17419
49 DON’T STOP 17088
50 DON’T EAT 16496
51 DON’T TRUST 16231
52 DON’T ALLOW 16155
53 DON’T OWN 15452
54 DON’T LIVE 15384
55 DON’T RECALL 15226

I don’t recall seeing your name on the guest list.

listen

56 DON’T RECOMMEND 14387
57 DON’T LOSE 14071
58 DON’T SHOW 14007
59 DON’T PLAN 13699
60 DON’T TALK 13487
61 DON’T RUN 13041
62 DON’T CHANGE 12849
63 DON’T WAN 12677
64 DON’T FIT 12488
65 DON’T BLAME 12465
66 DON’T HOLD 11842
67 DON’T HEAR 11486
68 DON’T COUNT 11445
69 DON’T KEEP 11307
70 DON’T FALL 11225
71 DON’T EXIST 11008
72 DON’T START 10793
73 DON’T CONSIDER 10723
74 DON’T SPEND 10709
75 DON’T CALL 10273
76 DON’T FOLLOW 10123
77 DON’T OFFER 10038
78 DON’T READ 9874
79 DON’T DRINK 9864
80 DON’T WEAR 9848
81 DON’T LOVE 9555
82 DON’T PANIC 9377 (imperative)

Don’t panic, but I saw a guy out front.

listen

83 DON’T END 9254
84 DON’T ADD 8937
85 DON’T SPEAK 8910
86 DON’T SELL 8846
87 DON’T ASSUME 8766
88 DON’T SUPPORT 8721
89 DON’T MATTER 8658
90 DON’T MOVE 8502
91 DON’T INCLUDE 8362
92 DON’T LISTEN 8226
93 DON’T NOTICE 8195
94 DON’T TOUCH 8187
95 DON’T PROVIDE 7620
96 DON’T APPEAR 7600
97 DON’T APPLY 7330
98 DON’T DESERVE 7228
99 DON’T TURN 7122
100 DON’T MATCH 7039

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Half the vocabulary is obviously A1.

Here are a few B2 lexical verbs that stand out:

assume, hesitate, panic, recall

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Here are the most common collocates of “doesn’t” in the MOVIE corpus:

We had AI write sentences with them: