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not and no

To make a word, expression or clause negative, we use not.

  • Not surprisingly, we missed the train. (not No surprisingly …)
  • The students went on strike, but not the teachers. (not … but no the teachers.)
  • I can see you tomorrow, but not on Thursday.
  • I have not received his answer.

We can use no with a noun or -ing form to mean ‘not any’, or ‘not a/an’.

  • No teachers went on strike. (= There weren’t any teachers on strike.)
  • I’ve got no Thursdays free this term. (= I haven’t got any Thursdays …)
  • I telephoned, but there was no answer. (= There wasn’t an answer.)
  • NO SMOKING

Sometimes sentences constructed with verb + not and no + noun have similar meanings. The structure with no is usually more emphatic.

  • There wasn’t an answer. / There was no answer.