Saying No with 'To Be'
Build confidence stating what isn't true, answering questions smoothly, and correcting misunderstandings in English. Learn the core patterns for negative 'to be' sentences in both the present and past.
Like Duolingo, but for Saying No with 'To Be'. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Speaking in the Present and Real Conversations and the Past. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Saying No with 'To Be'
- 'Not' sits immediately after the form of 'to be'
- The negative particle modifies the state described, not the subject before it
- 'I' pairs uniquely with 'am'
- Negative statements with 'I' take 'am not' rather than 'is not' or 'are not'
- Single people or objects take 'is'
- A singular negative state requires 'is not'
- 'You', 'we', and 'they' consistently pair with 'are not'
- 'You' takes 'are not' whether talking to one friend or a whole group
- 'To be' forms negatives on its own by simply adding 'not'
- Helper verbs like 'do' and 'does' are never used alongside 'to be'
- Uncontracted forms like 'is not' and 'are not' sound robotic or intensely formal in everyday chat
- Native speakers contract negative 'to be' forms to keep a smooth, flowing spoken rhythm
- The negative word 'not' fuses onto 'is' or 'are'
- The letter 'o' in 'not' drops out and becomes an apostrophe: 'isn't' and 'aren't'
- Standard English does not have a contracted verb form like 'amn't'
- For first-person singular 'to be', you must contract the pronoun and verb instead: 'I'm not'
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Saying No with 'To Be' the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
In the sentence 'The tea is not hot,' what is the word 'not' actually changing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Saying No with 'To Be', step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Speaking in the Present
- Placing 'Not' Where It Belongs
- Sounding Natural with Contractions
- 2
Real Conversations and the Past
- Short Answers and Polite Corrections
- Taking Negatives into the Past
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Saying No with 'To Be'
How do I learn Saying No with 'To Be'?
Go in order: start with Speaking in the Present, then Real Conversations and the Past. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Saying No with 'To Be'?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Saying No with 'To Be' is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Saying No with 'To Be' course free?
Yes. Saying No with 'To Be' is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Saying No with 'To Be'?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Saying No with 'To Be'?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Saying No with 'To Be' is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Saying No with 'To Be' today.
Download Tomo, search Saying No with 'To Be', and play your first lesson in under a minute.