|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > "Yes" or "No" answer in Indirect Speech
"Yes" or "No" answer in Indirect Speech
|
Imdad
|
"Yes" or "No" answer in Indirect Speech
|
Dear friends,
This is the problem what i faced .............
In Direct speech: "Will you go there?" he said to me. I answered, "Yes." or "No"
In Indirect speech: He asked me if i would go there. I replied that I would / I replied that I would not.
The last part of the sentence, that is to say, the answer in short "Yes" or "No" is written in a small sentence - "I would / I would not" repeating the previous question. Isn �t this correct?
I think so. Because it clarifies the meaning of the sentence. What is your opinion?
But in many books of the writers of our country, it is written like this ---
For "Yes" -- they write "I replied in the affirmative."
And for "No" -- they write "I replied in the negative."
Now the question is --- which process is correct?
Does the later process make the meaning of the answer clear?
|
16 Jul 2011
|
|
|
|
ingrid10
|
It �s more natural to answer I answered/replied I would or I answered/replied I wouldn �t
|
16 Jul 2011
|
|
|
blunderbuster
|
Yes --> they agreed / they confirmed
No--> they refused / they denied
|
16 Jul 2011
|
|
|
chrissmolder
|
|
Imdad--I would personally never say �I answered in the affirmative. � I would more likely answer in the way you suggest: �I said I wouldn �t. � Both versions are grammatical, but I have only ever heard �the affirmative � used in highly formal or specialized contexts.
|
16 Jul 2011
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
I agree that "affirmative" sounds very formal, and that either form is correct. Bruce |
16 Jul 2011
|
|
|
