Grammar Nazis report!

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Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
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A friend asked me, "Are you really not going out tonight?" I replied yes, because I'm not going out. She says that in english, negating the question doesn't matter, and I should have answered no.

I think that answering no would be colloquial, and not 100% correct, but people would still understand you. Although yes would technically be the right answer.

What say you?
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
She's a foreign student learning english, cut her some slack. :p And apparently some guy with phd in english confirmed what she said, although I think he just said that because it's easiest to understand.

She says that's the way her grammar book taught also, which I find strange. :confused:
 
nerp

nerp

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
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In situations like these, a skilled communicator will have an answer more expansive: yes, I plan on staying in tonight.

Life continues without derailment. Be mindful of your audience, always.
 
Bill Brasky

Bill Brasky

Diamond Member
May 18, 2006
4,324
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Originally posted by: nerp
In situations like these, a skilled communicator will have an answer more expansive: yes, I plan on staying in tonight.

Life continues without derailment. Be mindful of your audience, always.
Click to expand...

Without the asshatted overtones, this.
 
Perknose

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
46,940
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It's confusing but she is correct.

"Are you really not going out tonight?" If you're not, you answer "No" with the rest of your reply, "I'm not going out" implied but unspoken.

Think of it this way, if it at all helps: If you were asked, "Are you really not stupid?" in English, you're natural response would be, "Hell, no!", with "I'm not stupid" implied.

There are many such examples in English grammar in which the implied but unspoken part of an answer is necessary for it to make grammatical sense.

One not particularly great one, but all I can think of off the top of my head is:

"Who's here?"

"I am."

Now, by itself "I am" is either a boldly direct existential statement or a sentence fragment. It only makes complete sense when you realize the "here" part is implied but unspoken.
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
Originally posted by: Perknose
Think of it this way, if it at all helps: If you were asked, "Are you really not stupid?" in English, you're natural response would be, "Hell, no!", with "I'm not stupid" implied.
Click to expand...

I was thinking this had to be some bastardized version of english that Americans use.

"Are you really not stupid?" - "Yes, I'm really not stupid." is the logical answer, therefore you'd think it would be the correct answer. If you don't answer that way, it feels like you're not answering the original question.

Who the hell came up with this? :|
 
D

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
As a non-native speaker of english this is something that's always bothered me. At least some people answer the question as if it were presented in a non-negated form, and so to resolve this ambiguity, the responder must provide additional elaboration to what should have been a simple boolean response.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Your goal is to communicate unambiguously, so the proper response is "Yes, I'm staying home" or "No, I'm not going out" or something that makes your intentions clear. Whether it starts with a yes or no really doesn't matter.
 
Fayd

Fayd

Diamond Member
Jun 28, 2001
7,970
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www.manwhoring.com
Originally posted by: nkgreen
She's a foreign student learning english, cut her some slack. :p And apparently some guy with phd in english confirmed what she said, although I think he just said that because it's easiest to understand.

She says that's the way her grammar book taught also, which I find strange. :confused:
Click to expand...

wow, you have female friends?
 
Perknose

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: nkgreen
Originally posted by: Perknose
Think of it this way, if it at all helps: If you were asked, "Are you really not stupid?" in English, you're natural response would be, "Hell, no!", with "I'm not stupid" implied.
Click to expand...

I was thinking this had to be some bastardized version of english that Americans use.
Click to expand...

And you'd be wrong. It's standard English grammar.

It follows the rough common sense of the spoken language, with the unspoken part implied.

"Can't you help me?"

C'mon, you KNOW you answer "No" when you can't and are understood even though it doesn't make "logical" grammatical sense.

You KNOW you don't answer "Yes" when you can't help, even though your model of what "should be" demands it. ;)



 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
Originally posted by: Perknose
Originally posted by: nkgreen
Originally posted by: Perknose
Think of it this way, if it at all helps: If you were asked, "Are you really not stupid?" in English, you're natural response would be, "Hell, no!", with "I'm not stupid" implied.
Click to expand...

I was thinking this had to be some bastardized version of english that Americans use.
Click to expand...

And you'd be wrong. It's standard English grammar.

It follows the rough common sense of the spoken language, with the unspoken part implied.

"Can't you help me?"

C'mon, you KNOW you answer "No" when you can't and are understood even though it doesn't make "logical" grammatical sense.

You KNOW you don't answer "Yes" when you can't help, even though your model of what "should be" demands it. ;)
Click to expand...

OK. I guess I'll take your word for it, even though logically it doesn't make sense.

Us folks from the south ain't known fer our good grammar, so I just assumed we were all doing it wrong just because it sounds right.
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
Originally posted by: Fayd
Originally posted by: nkgreen
She's a foreign student learning english, cut her some slack. :p And apparently some guy with phd in english confirmed what she said, although I think he just said that because it's easiest to understand.

She says that's the way her grammar book taught also, which I find strange. :confused:
Click to expand...

wow, you have female friends?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's pretty cool. You should try it sometime.
 
K

Killmenow

Senior member
Oct 23, 2004
308
1
81
Originally posted by: nkgreen
Originally posted by: Perknose
Originally posted by: nkgreen
Originally posted by: Perknose
Think of it this way, if it at all helps: If you were asked, "Are you really not stupid?" in English, you're natural response would be, "Hell, no!", with "I'm not stupid" implied.
Click to expand...

I was thinking this had to be some bastardized version of english that Americans use.
Click to expand...

And you'd be wrong. It's standard English grammar.

It follows the rough common sense of the spoken language, with the unspoken part implied.

"Can't you help me?"

C'mon, you KNOW you answer "No" when you can't and are understood even though it doesn't make "logical" grammatical sense.

You KNOW you don't answer "Yes" when you can't help, even though your model of what "should be" demands it. ;)
Click to expand...

OK. I guess I'll take your word for it, even though logically it doesn't make sense.

Us folks from the south ain't known fer our good grammar, so I just assumed we were all doing it wrong just because it sounds right.
Click to expand...

:Q From the south eh... could you... by chance........ be related to that rcxEric guy? :D
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
Originally posted by: Killmenow
:Q From the south eh... could you... by chance........ be related to that rcxEric guy? :D
Click to expand...

Judging by all the inbred jokes, maybe. :(




;)

 
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