She’s not an unattractive woman.
It’s not a bad start.
It’s a small point, but not an unimportant one.
America is very well developed, but not limitless.
not used for contrast
5.63 Not is sometimes used to contrast one part of a clause with another. Using not in this way emphasizes the positive part of a statement.
He held her arm in his hand, not hard, but firmly.
We move steadily, not fast, not slow.
‘Were they still interested?’ – ‘Not just interested. Overjoyed.’
I will move eventually, but not from Suffolk.
It’s not a huge hotel, but it’s very nice.
never
5.64 Never is used to say that something was not or will not ever be the case.
When it is used with a verb phrase that contains an auxiliary verb, never is put after the first verb in the verb phrase and in front of the main verb.
I would never trust my judgement again.
…a type of glass that is rare and is never used.
The number of people who died will never be known.
Fifty years ago, men were never expected to wash the dishes or help with the children.
I had never been to this big town before.
I’ve never done so much work in all my life.
However, you can put never in front of the first word in the verb phrase in order to emphasize the negative aspect of a statement.
I never would have guessed if he hadn’t told me.
There was no such person–there never had been.
with simple forms of be
5.65 If the main verb is the present simple or past simple of be, never usually comes after the verb.
She was never too proud to learn.
I’m never very keen on keeping a car for more than a year.
There were never any people in the house.
However, you can put never in front of a simple form of be for emphasis.
There never was enough hot water at home.
It never was very clear.
There never is any great change.
with simple forms of other verbs
5.66 If the main verb is the present simple or past simple of any verb except be, never comes in front of the verb.
I never want to see you in my classes again.
She never goes abroad.
He never went to university.
He never did any homework.
emphasis
5.67 You can make a negative statement more emphatic by using never followed by do, does, or did in front of the base form of the verb. For example, instead of saying I never met him, you can say I never did meet him.
They never did get their money back.
She never did find her real mother.
Some people never do adjust to life here.
never in imperatives
5.68 Never can be used at the beginning of imperative structures.
Never change a wheel near a drain.
Never dry clothes in front of an open fire.
Imperative structures are explained in paragraph 5.4 and in paragraphs 5.35 to 5.39.
no
5.69 No is an indefinite determiner that is used in front of singular and plural nouns to say that something does not exist or is not available.
There was no money for an operation.
We had no parents, nobody to look after us.
He has no ambition.
I could see no tracks.
Indefinite determiners are explained in paragraphs 1.223 to 1.250.
5.70 In spoken English, -n’t is often used with any instead of no. For example, instead of saying I had no money, you can say I didn’t have any money.
They hadn’t meant any harm to her.
I can’t see any hope in it.
none
5.71 The pronoun none is used to say that there is not a single thing or person, or not even a small amount of a particular thing.
I waited for comments but none came.
The entire area is covered with shallow lakes, none more than a few yards in depth.
We have been seeing difficulties where none exist.
For another use of none see paragraph 1.155.
none of
5.72 None of is a quantity expression.
None of the townspeople had ever seen such weather.
None of this has happened without our consent.
For an explanation of none of see paragraphs 2.179 and 2.185.
words beginning with no-
5.73 There are four words beginning with no- that are used in negative statements. Nothing, no one, and nobody are indefinite pronouns. Nowhere is an indefinite place adverb.
There’s nothing you can do.
Nobody in her house knows any English.
There’s almost nowhere left to go.
Indefinite pronouns are explained in paragraphs 1.128 to 1.141.
Indefinite place adverbs are explained in paragraphs 6.61 and 6.71.
followed by but
5.74 Nothing, no one, nobody, and nowhere can be followed by but to mean only. For example, There was nothing but cheese means that there was only cheese.