Q&A - P1 English

[corneyAmber]

I would have to slightly differ here from TAS.


As the example about the girl who likes to eat. It is stated that she likes to eat, so no assumption required. So the answer cannot be \" No, she does\"

Only in a case if it is not clear to the person answering and assumption is made, then \"No, she does\" is possible.

Look at the following examples, maybe it becomes clearer:

Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not (necessarily) the question.For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the correct answers:

tag question----------- correct answer
Snow is white, isn't it? Yes (it is). [the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS WHITE! but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner ]

Snow isn't white, is it? Yes it is!

Snow is black, isn't it? No it isn't! [the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK! ]

Snow isn't black, is it? No (it isn't).

In some languages, people answer a question like \"Snow isn't black, is it?\" with \"Yes\" (meaning \"Yes, I agree with you\"). This is the wrong answer in English!

Here are some more examples, with correct answers:

•The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does.
•The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes.
•The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!
•Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do!
•Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't!
•Men don't have babies, do they? No.
•The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.

[The Alternative Story]

ksi:

I would have to slightly differ here from TAS.


As the example about the girl who likes to eat. It is stated that she likes to eat, so no assumption required. So the answer cannot be \" No, she does\"

Only in a case if it is not clear to the person answering and assumption is made, then \"No, she does\" is possible.

Look at the following examples, maybe it becomes clearer:

Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not (necessarily) the question.For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the correct answers:

tag question----------- correct answer
Snow is white, isn't it? Yes (it is). [the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS WHITE! but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner ]

Snow isn't white, is it? Yes it is!

Snow is black, isn't it? No it isn't! [the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK! ]

Snow isn't black, is it? No (it isn't).

In some languages, people answer a question like \"Snow isn't black, is it?\" with \"Yes\" (meaning \"Yes, I agree with you\"). This is the wrong answer in English!

Here are some more examples, with correct answers:

•The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does.
•The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes.
•The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!
•Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do!
•Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't!
•Men don't have babies, do they? No.
•The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.

Hi ksi,

You brought out an interesting point.
Your later examples are all scientific facts:

- The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it?
- Men don't have babies, do they?

For such examples, the answer is whatever
the factual truth is. The answer will always be the
same. (which you correctly pointed out)

For example, Men don't have babies, do they?

The answer will always be: No, they don't.

However for the earlier examples that were stated:

- The girl doesn't like to eat, does she?

this is not a factual truth. Hence the answer can be
either 'Yes' or 'No'.
By asking a question, it is not clear that the person is
stating a fact. She could be in a situation where a girl
is not eating much and she asks the question,
the answer could be:

Yes, she doesn't (confirmation of the person's assumption)

OR

No, she does - the girl could have been a good eater but is not
eating much today as she is sick or does not like the food
(telling the person who asked that his assumption is wrong)

So for questions that are based on factual scientific truths,
the answer will always be based on the truth. However for
questions that are not based on factual scientific truths,
the answer may be either 'Yes' or 'No'

TAS

[corneyAmber]

I know you are going to allude to that as I can see the pattern in the examples too and these examples are given so people understand what are facts, not just scientific facts.


So the fact remains that if it is a known fact, i.e. information is furnished. I am not here to say that you are wrong, just to add that there are some fine prints to take note.

It is more important to understand which are the situations one can differ and which cannot. In an exam if the facts are furnished and ignored, the kids may lose marks. In fact this SA1 my child had, there were 2 questions the teachers even needed to debate upon the answers because many children chose a different answer from model key. In the end, the teachers concluded that they had furnished some facts in the passage, so they would not accept the other answer, even though technically the children were not wrong to choose the other answer. Just my 2 cents worth.

[jedamum]

:scared:

[buds]

Jeda.. scared what? :lol:


Cheemology arh?

[jedamum]

Snow is black, isn’t it?

No, it isn’t.

Snow isn’t black, is it?
No, it isn’t.

Or

Yes, it isn’t? (ksi, you mention this is wrong usage, but how to explain to a P2?)

[jedamum]

ksi:

Here are some more examples, with correct answers:

•The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does.
•The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes.
•The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!
•Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do!
•Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't!
•Men don't have babies, do they? No.
•The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.

ksi,
in explaining to my boy, am i correct to point out to him that the answer is always 'a -ve together with a -ve' ie always, \"No, it doesn't\" and never \"No, it does.\"? similarly, always \"Yes, it is\" and never \"Yes, it isn't.\"?\"

[corneyAmber]

jedamum, when you explain to your boy...


If the statement is factually known, then he answers to the FACTS and not the question structure, like the snow. So \"Yes, positive\" and \"No, negative\" will always be used in accordance to the facts per the examples given earlier.

The complication or variation comes only when something is not factual like what TAS has shared as an example.

[corneyAmber]

jedamum:

Snow is black, isn't it?

No, it isn't.

Snow isn't black, is it?
No, it isn't.

Or

Yes, it isn't? (ksi, you mention this is wrong usage, but how to explain to a P2?)

The fact is snow is not black.
So if it is factually not black, it will be \"No, it isn't\" regardless of how the tag question is phrased.

[The Alternative Story]

ksi:

I know you are going to allude to that as I can see the pattern in the examples too and these examples are given so people understand what are facts, not just scientific facts.


So the fact remains that if it is a known fact, i.e. information is furnished. I am not here to say that you are wrong, just to add that there are some fine prints to take note.

It is more important to understand which are the situations one can differ and which cannot. In an exam if the facts are furnished and ignored, the kids may lose marks. In fact this SA1 my child had, there were 2 questions the teachers even needed to debate upon the answers because many children chose a different answer from model key. In the end, the teachers concluded that they had furnished some facts in the passage, so they would not accept the other answer, even though technically the children were not wrong to choose the other answer. Just my 2 cents worth.

Hi ksi,

Thanks for your contribution to some of the finer points of this
grammar structure (question tags). It is true that for every rule,
there are a few exceptions.

That is why, there are cases where the teachers need to debate
over the answers as English is not as 'cut and dried' as some of
the more scientific subjects.

So, what we can do as educators and parents is to give the broad rule
with the exceptions as much as possible

TAS