Negative Statements

Question

Hi,you agree negative questions with "no":-You are not at home?-No, I am not at home. I am outside.But how do you agree with negative statements? I have read somewhere in a forum that you can also agree with Yes?-Maria is not home today.- Yes. She's not home today.Is this possible?

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

Answered here and http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/negative-statements.3190424/.

How many more forums are you going to ask?

Anonymous · Answer

Somehow I didn't get a satisfying answer yet. You could help me too, that would be a better behavior I guess.

So somehow I think I need more help. Let's say B knows that Maria is not at home and she is in Italy:

Question:
A: Maria is not at home?
B: No, she's not at home. She's in Italy.

Is this the correct answer?

Statement:
A: Maria is not home today.
B: Yes. She's not home today. She's in Italy.

Is this possible with "yes"? I mean A doesn't ask a question, A and B both make a statement.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousQuestion: A: Maria is not at home?

Also, Isn't Maria at home? This is the usual word order for that question.

AnonymousA: Maria is not at home? B: No, she's not at home. She's in Italy.
Is this the correct answer?

Yes, it's fine.

AnonymousStatement: A: Maria is not home today.

Statements do not require answers, so B can say anything next.

B: She wasn't home yesterday either.
B: I didn't know that. Where is she?
B: I know. She told me she wouldn't be here today.
B: I figured that. The lights are off and her place looks very quiet.
B: Really? Why not?

There is very little reason to believe that B would say "Yes" next. However, your dialog line "Yes. She's not home today. She's in Italy" is certainly possible. Still, it's also possible for B to say with great surprise, "No! I can't believe it! Can that be true?"

AnonymousLet's say B knows that Maria is not at home and she is in Italy

With this in mind, fewer of my suggested dialog lines are possible, of course. I think the most likely next line is "I know."

CJ

Vic Z · Answer

The second is possible but pretty stupid if you want to give a clear answer.

Negative Statements

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