http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#898551Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:25:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:898551Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#898551http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-898551.xmlHi:-) To answer a negative question the answer should be negative for positive flavor to the question. Confusing, the don&#39;t ask negatiive question or ask back to negative questioner to phrase it positive. As an instructor in education I never asked a negative question on an exam or is that I always asked a postive question on an exam. Marty:-)http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#862206Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:23:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:862206Anonymous1http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#862206http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-862206.xmlYou would say &quot;I don&#39;t&quot;. As a person who does not live in Spain, You would say, &quot;I do not live in Spain&quot;.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#698994Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:19:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:698994Anonymous2http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#698994http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-698994.xmlThis is a rather old question so you may never see the answer, but oh well. Technically, either is correct. Here&#39;s why. In response to the question, &quot;Who has a toothbrush?&quot; you reply &quot;I do.&quot; &quot;I do&quot; what? The rest of the answer is understood: &quot;I do have a toothbrush.&quot; It&#39;s the same with a negative question: &quot;Who doesn&#39;t live in Spain?&quot; &quot;I do&quot; , or &quot;I don&#39;t&quot; . It&#39;s an odd question, though, as I imagine it being asked in a group or classroom setting where the response would simply be a raised hand. I&#39;m from America and there we answer negative questions in the negative because a negative question assumes a negative answer. That is, a student...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#619207Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:619207Grammar Geek3http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#619207http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-619207.xmlSee CJ&#39;s earlier post about &quot;confirming a negative.&quot; No, I don&#39;t like apples. Yes, I do like apples. Don&#39;t try to match the &quot;no&quot; with the &quot;Don&#39;t you&quot; therefore meaning &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;yes&quot; to &quot;Don&#39;t you&quot; meaning &quot;no.&quot; Just say &quot;No, I don&#39;t&quot; or &quot;Yes, I do&quot; if don&#39;t like apples or do like apples, respectively.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#619178Sun, 24 May 2009 09:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:619178Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#619178http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-619178.xmlHi.. I have a doubt, I would like to know your views on 2 fronts 1. Let me know if the following way of answering a negative question is grammatically correct ? 2. Can this way of answering is mostly dependent on Context, Grammatically wrong but Contextually if this fits in &quot; Q. &quot;Don&#39;t you like apples ? A. Yes, I don&#39;t ? &quot; Is the above way of answering a negative question is right...on the above two fronts...? Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#588881Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:588881Anonymous5http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#588881http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-588881.xmlFor me, my trick is to change the negative question to a positive one (in mind.) Then I will answer as it is. For example, Who didn&#39;t live in Spain? When I hear this question, I will change it to &quot; Who live in Thailand?&quot; Then, if I am not in Spain, I will answer, &quot;I don&#39;t.&quot; If I am in Spain, I will answer &quot;I do&quot; Thinking this way, I am not confused to asnwer the negative questions any more. This can also use with yes-no negative questions. Ex. Aren&#39;t you living in Spain? --&gt; Are you living in Spain? Yes, I am. (if live.) No, I am not(if not.) If I am wrong, pls. advise. Thx..http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#448448Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:448448Anonymous6http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/2/bxnxz/Post.htm#448448http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-448448.xmlCalifJim wrote: When you ER (end record) the Passenger Name Record, the Miles with??? automatically Locked. It's unclear what this means. I'll assume it's basically this: If you ER the PNR, miles will automatically be locked. This is equivalent, reversing the order of clauses, to: Miles will automatically be locked if you ER the PNR. So if the question is the "True or False" type (Yes or No): Is it true that miles will not be (automatically) locked if you ER the PNR? the answer is "no". But if you are not being asked a "True or False" type of question, but this one: Won't the miles be automatically locked if you ER the PNR? (=Isn't is true that the miles will be automatically locked if...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#448300Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:448300CalifJim7http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#448300http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-448300.xmlWhen you ER (end record) the Passenger Name Record, the Miles with??? automatically Locked. It's unclear what this means. I'll assume it's basically this: If you ER the PNR, miles will automatically be locked. This is equivalent, reversing the order of clauses, to: Miles will automatically be locked if you ER the PNR. So if the question is the "True or False" type (Yes or No): Is it true that miles will not be (automatically) locked if you ER the PNR? the answer is "no". But if you are not being asked a "True or False" type of question, but this one: Won't the miles be automatically locked if you ER the PNR? (=Isn't is true that the miles will be automatically locked if you ER the PNR?) ...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#448160Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:448160Anonymous8http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#448160http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-448160.xmllet me state the scenario first: When you ER (end record) the Passenger Name Record, the Miles with automatically Locked. Question: Miles will not be locked if you ER the record. Yes or No My answer was NO, but our trainer marked it incorrect because she said the correct answer is YES. So how would I explain to her that the correct answer should be No? PS. She said she will be discussing the answers on monday since it was already time to go home. Hope to have an answer by sunday night. I am pretty confident with the positive and negative rule in grammar but I just need to get more opinion from the experts here with regards to her question. THANKS! -d-http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#340085Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:340085Anonymous9http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#340085http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-340085.xmlUnfortunately, the second half of Jussive's message is wrong. It should be: Didn't you eat your breakfast this morning? No = No, I didn't eat it. Yes = Yes, I did eat it. Just remember that " No" simply confirms the negative fact that "I didn't eat it." Also remember, as Jussive correctly said, that positive goes with positive, and negative with negative, but this refers to whole of the answer . "Yes" accompanies the rest of the positive answer : i.e., that "I did eat it." Because of this confusion, I totally agree with Jussive that it's best to clarify your yes/no answer with "I did" / "I didn't". Here's the explanation for this confusion: We use negative questions in English for 3 reasons: 1) We're surprised. Wow, I'm surprised to...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156449Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156449Babujee10http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156449http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156449.xmlThere are two methods. Q: Who doesn't live in Spain? A: I = I don't live in Spain Q: Who doesn't live in Spain? A: I don't = I don't live in Spainhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156421Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156421CalifJim11http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156421http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156421.xmlWelcome to English Forums! I don't see any conflict between "supposed to" and "usually" here. Who doesn't live in Spain? I don't. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156406Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156406pieanne12http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156406http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156406.xmlMaybe it would be easier to say: "Me!" I know that answering "no, I don't" means "I know I do not in X" &gt; I do live in X. But simply " I don't" (stressed I) might mean " I do not (live in X)" Anyway it's not very clear...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156391Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156391Jussive13http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156391http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156391.xmlThe answer should correspond with the question: positive with positive; negative with negative. 'Did you eat your breakfast this morning?' 'no' = (I didn't eat it) 'yes' = (I did eat it) Didn't you eat your breakfast this morning?' 'no' = (I did eat it) (often taken to mean the opposite) 'yes' = (I didn't eat it) (often taken to mean the opposite) With such negative questions it is best to clarify your answer eg, 'yes/no I did/didn't'.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156384Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156384pieanne14http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htm#156384http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156384.xmlHello, Velfarre, welcome to the English Forums! This is how I'd answer the question: "I don't"http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htmFri, 24 Apr 2009 09:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:156303Velfarre15http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnsweringNegativeQuestion/bxnxz/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-156303.xmlHello, I have a question about answering negative questions using correct grammar. If someone is to ask a question like, "Who doesn't live in Spain?" And you do not live in Spain, would you answer, "I do," or "I don't"? If someone could explain how this is supposed to be answered , instead of how it is usually answered I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to understand what is grammatically correct, not what is correct only to avoid confusion. Thanks.