5 exercises — choosing the correct negative form (none/no/not/neither/nor/without) in API specifications, error messages, code reviews, and technical documentation.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
An error message reads: "The file was _____ found in the specified directory." Which negative form is correct?
Option B is correct."Not" negates verbs and verb phrases. In a passive construction ("was found"), the negative is formed by inserting "not" between the auxiliary and the past participle: "was not found." "No" (option A) modifies nouns: "no file was found." "None" (option C) is a pronoun meaning "not any" — it cannot modify a past participle. "Neither" (option D) requires a correlative pair: "neither found nor indexed." This is a fundamental rule: "not" + verb/verb phrase; "no" + noun.
2 / 20
A configuration spec states: "_____ of the fallback nodes responded within the timeout window." Which negative form correctly expresses that zero nodes responded?
Option C is correct."None of" is the correct form when negating a group introduced by "of" with a plural noun. "None of the fallback nodes" = not a single one of the nodes. "No" (option A) cannot directly precede "of the" — you need "None" or restructure: "No fallback node responded." "Neither" (option D) is only grammatical for exactly two items: "Neither of the two nodes…" If there are three or more nodes, "none" is required. This is a common error in technical incident reports and monitoring alerts.
3 / 20
A requirements document states: "The service must run _____ authentication and without caching to meet the performance target." Which negative construction correctly pairs with "without"?
Option C is correct.Parallel structure requires matching grammatical forms. "Without authentication and without caching" uses two parallel prepositional phrases. This is the clearest and most formal construction. Option D ("neither…nor") is also grammatically correct ("must run without neither authentication nor caching" — wait, that double-negates; correct version: "must run with neither authentication nor caching") but the sentence structure in the question is set up around "without", making parallel "without…and without…" the best completion. "No" (option B) and "not" (option A) break the prepositional structure.
4 / 20
A code review comment reads: "_____ the input sanitisation _____ the output encoding was implemented correctly in this PR." Which negative correlative pair is correct?
Option C is correct."Neither…nor" is the standard correlative conjunction pair for negating exactly two parallel elements: "Neither X nor Y." It asserts that both X and Y are negated. The verb agreement follows the noun closest to the verb: "Neither the sanitisation nor the encoding was implemented" (singular — both nouns are singular; if mixed, the closer noun governs agreement). "Neither…nor" is the correct formal construction for code reviews, security audits, and specification compliance checks. The other options are ungrammatical.
5 / 20
An API reference states: "This parameter is optional. Pass _____ value to use the system default." Which is correct?
Option A is correct."No + noun" is the correct construction when negating the presence of a noun object: "Pass no value." This is equivalent to "Do not pass a value" but more concise in technical reference documentation. "No" here functions as a negative determiner modifying "value." "None" (option D) is a pronoun — it cannot precede a noun ("none value" is ungrammatical). "Not a" (option B) is grammatically correct but less idiomatic in technical reference docs than "no." "Not any" (option C) is grammatically valid but overly verbose for a concise reference instruction.
6 / 20
During a code review of the payment processing module, Alice comments: 'The transaction failed. The API returned an error indicating no data was received.' Which negative form best completes this sentence to accurately convey the situation?
The key here is to describe what *didn't* happen. 'Absent' suggests a broader failure than just lack of data. 'Insufficient' implies a problem with the request itself, and 'unavailable' describes the endpoint not responding at all. 'Absent' most precisely captures the API response stating no data was received, highlighting the core issue.
7 / 20
In a Slack channel discussing a recent deployment, Ben writes: 'We've observed that no of the database replicas are synchronizing correctly after the update.' Which negative construction is most appropriate for this message?
Ben is reporting a complete failure. 'Unavailable' directly reflects that replication didn't happen. 'Limited' suggests a partial problem, while 'negligible' and 'unsupported' imply impact or compatibility issues, which aren't the focus of his message. The core issue is the *lack* of synchronization.
8 / 20
You're drafting a Pull Request description for a change to the user authentication service. You need to specify the expected behavior when a user attempts to log in with an invalid password. The description reads: 'The system must reject login attempts without any further processing.' Which negative construction best aligns with this statement?
The sentence emphasizes what *didn't* happen after an invalid password. 'Unauthorized' correctly describes the immediate denial of access. 'Inactive' refers to account status, and 'ignored' suggests a different process. The core negative element is the lack of any continued processing following the failed authentication attempt.
9 / 20
During a standup meeting, David states: 'We've been investigating the intermittent latency spikes. We've determined that no of the microservices are consistently exhibiting high response times.' Which negative phrasing best conveys this finding?
David wants to highlight that there's no identifiable *pattern* causing the spikes. 'Undetectable' emphasizes the lack of monitoring evidence. The other options suggest a performance issue or an unacceptable situation, which isn't what David is communicating in this context. The absence of a pattern is key.
10 / 20
You are reviewing a code change that implements a new API endpoint for retrieving user profiles. The documentation states: 'This parameter is optional. Pass null value to use the system default.' Which negative form accurately describes this functionality?
The documentation clearly indicates that passing 'null' means the system will use its default. 'Default' accurately describes this behavior. The other options suggest either an error condition or a requirement for a non-empty value – neither of which is true based on the provided text.
11 / 20
During a code review of the payment processing module, Alice comments: 'The transaction failed. The API returned an error indicating no data was received.' Which negative form best completes this sentence to accurately convey the situation?
The key here is to describe what *didn't* happen. 'Absent' suggests a broader failure than just lack of data. 'Insufficient' implies a problem with the request itself, and 'unavailable' describes the endpoint not responding at all. 'Absent' most precisely captures the API response stating no data was received, highlighting the core issue.
12 / 20
In a Slack channel discussing a recent deployment, Ben writes: 'We've observed that no of the database replicas are synchronizing correctly after the update.' Which negative construction is most appropriate for this message?
Ben is reporting a complete failure. 'Unavailable' directly reflects that replication didn't happen. 'Limited' suggests a partial problem, while 'negligible' and 'unsupported' imply impact or compatibility issues, which aren't the focus of his message. The core issue is the *lack* of synchronization.
13 / 20
You're drafting a Pull Request description for a change to the user authentication service. You need to specify the expected behavior when a user attempts to log in with an invalid password. The description reads: 'The system must reject login attempts without any further processing.' Which negative construction best aligns with this statement?
The sentence emphasizes what *didn't* happen after an invalid password. 'Unauthorized' correctly describes the immediate denial of access. 'Inactive' refers to account status, and 'ignored' suggests a different process. The core negative element is the lack of any continued processing following the failed authentication attempt.
14 / 20
During a standup meeting, David states: 'We've been investigating the intermittent latency spikes. We've determined that no of the microservices are consistently exhibiting high response times.' Which negative phrasing best conveys this finding?
David wants to highlight that there's no identifiable *pattern* causing the spikes. 'Undetectable' emphasizes the lack of monitoring evidence. The other options suggest a performance issue or an unacceptable situation, which isn't what David is communicating in this context. The absence of a pattern is key.
15 / 20
You are reviewing a code change that implements a new API endpoint for retrieving user profiles. The documentation states: 'This parameter is optional. Pass null value to use the system default.' Which negative form accurately describes this functionality?
The documentation clearly indicates that passing 'null' means the system will use its default. 'Default' accurately describes this behavior. The other options suggest either an error condition or a requirement for a non-empty value – neither of which is true based on the provided text.
16 / 20
During a code review of the payment processing module, Alice comments: 'The transaction failed. The API returned an error indicating no data was received.' Which negative form best completes this sentence to accurately convey the situation?
The key here is to describe what *didn't* happen. 'Absent' suggests a broader failure than just lack of data. 'Insufficient' implies a problem with the request itself, and 'unavailable' describes the endpoint not responding at all. 'Absent' most precisely captures the API response stating no data was received, highlighting the core issue.
17 / 20
In a Slack channel discussing a recent deployment, Ben writes: 'We've observed that no of the database replicas are synchronizing correctly after the update.' Which negative construction is most appropriate for this message?
Ben is reporting a complete failure. 'Unavailable' directly reflects that replication didn't happen. 'Limited' suggests a partial problem, while 'negligible' and 'unsupported' imply impact or compatibility issues, which aren't the focus of his message. The core issue is the *lack* of synchronization.
18 / 20
You're drafting a Pull Request description for a change to the user authentication service. You need to specify the expected behavior when a user attempts to log in with an invalid password. The description reads: 'The system must reject login attempts without any further processing.' Which negative construction best aligns with this statement?
The sentence emphasizes what *didn't* happen after an invalid password. 'Unauthorized' correctly describes the immediate denial of access. 'Inactive' refers to account status, and 'ignored' suggests a different process. The core negative element is the lack of any continued processing following the failed authentication attempt.
19 / 20
During a standup meeting, David states: 'We've been investigating the intermittent latency spikes. We've determined that no of the microservices are consistently exhibiting high response times.' Which negative phrasing best conveys this finding?
David wants to highlight that there's no identifiable *pattern* causing the spikes. 'Undetectable' emphasizes the lack of monitoring evidence. The other options suggest a performance issue or an unacceptable situation, which isn't what David is communicating in this context. The absence of a pattern is key.
20 / 20
You are reviewing a code change that implements a new API endpoint for retrieving user profiles. The documentation states: 'This parameter is optional. Pass null value to use the system default.' Which negative form accurately describes this functionality?
The documentation clearly indicates that passing 'null' means the system will use its default. 'Default' accurately describes this behavior. The other options suggest either an error condition or a requirement for a non-empty value – neither of which is true based on the provided text.
What will I practise in "Negative Structures in Technical English — Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using none/no/not/neither/nor/without correctly in technical specifications, error messages, and documentation. 5 exercises on negative forms.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.