What does the answer imply?

Question

Let us, for example, take two people, A and B, who are in a conversation :

A : This Michael studies well, doesnn't he?
B : Yes.

Now, this yes, does it mean:
1. Yes, Michael studies well. or
2. Yes, he doesn't.

Please explain how.

(I know it is the first one, but according to common sense, the question part is ""DOESN'T HE"" and the answer, yes, should be the reply to the question. )

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

This is the kind of question that makes a native speaker stop and really think. I've never thought about things like this before, since I know the grammar and syntax by instinct.

The way I would try to explain it is that you can't construct a sentence in English where you say, "yes," and then follow it with a negative statement (you have to follow the word "yes" with a positive statement), like in: "Yes, he doesn't....", or "Yes, he won't..., or "Yes, we have no...", etc. So the sentence, "Yes, he doesn't." just cannot be. It has to be "Yes, he studies well."

As for why the question is "He studies well, doesn't he?", rather than, say, "He studies well, does he?" I believe the answer is that the word "not" is sometimes used like this, idiomatically, for effect, as a kind of intensive, rather than for negation. For example:

A: She's beautiful, isn't she? B: Yes, she is (there can be no such statement as "Yes, she isn't.").
A: He's good looking, isn't he? B: Yes, he is.

So the "not" in the above sentences has nothing to do with negation, but is rather to emphasize the truth of the previous words.

CalifJim · Answer

Kartik Raj Kanna-
A : This Michael studies well, doesn't he?
B : Yes.

Now, this yes, does it mean:
1. Yes, Michael studies well. <<< This one.
2. Yes, he doesn't.

A tag question (e.g., "doesn't he?") is always equivalent to "Right?" or "Am I right?" So you have:

A: Michael studies well. Am I right?
B: Yes. (You are right. Michael studies well.)

CJ

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