Unit 7: Unless
Tips for answering negative questions
Select a unit
- 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3 If or whether?
- 4 5 ways to use 'would'
- 5 Let and allow
- 6 Passive voice
- 7 Unless
- 8 Mixed conditionals
- 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12 The continuous passive
- 13 Future perfect
- 14 Need + verb-ing
- 15 Have something done
- 16 Wish
- 17 Word stress
- 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19 Passive reporting structures
- 20 The subjunctive
- 21 When and if
- 22 Inversion
- 23 Phrasal verbs
- 24 The future
- 25 Modals in the past
- 26 Narrative tenses
- 27 Phrasal verb myths
- 28 Conditionals review
- 29 Used to - review
- 30 Linking words of contrast
Session 4
Don't you find it easy to answer questions like this? Yes? No? Don't know? Learn how to answer negative questions with Tim.
Activity 1
Stop saying ...
Answering negative questions
When a yes/no question is asked with a negative, it can be difficult to know what the correct way to respond is.
Anita from Italy wants to know that if someone asks "Aren't you going out tonight?" what the right answer is. Does the speaker think you are or are not going out?
If you say yes, does this mean that you are not going out? If you say no, does it mean you are going out?
It seems very confusing! Thankfully Tim has the answer and it's very simple.
Watch the video and complete the activity
Summary
So, isn't that simple? Yes, yes it is.
Think of a negative question as if it were a positive question and answer it like that!
Aren't you going out tonight? is the same as: Are you going out tonight? For both questions the answer will be the same.
Yes, I am = you are going out tonight.
No, I'm not = you are not going out.
To do
Try the quiz to check that you have understood Tim's advice.
Yes or no?
5 Questions
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Help
Activity
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Hint
Remember, answer a negative question as if it were a positive question.Question 1 of 5
Help
Activity
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Hint
Remember, answer a negative question as if it were a positive question.Question 2 of 5
Help
Activity
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Hint
Remember, answer a negative question as if it were a positive question.Question 3 of 5
Help
Activity
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Hint
Remember, answer a negative question as if it were a positive question.Question 4 of 5
Help
Activity
For each situation choose the correct answer.
Hint
Remember, answer a negative question as if it were a positive question.Question 5 of 5
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
End of Session 4
That's all from this session.
Thanks to the staff and students of Avalon School of English for their help with this programme.
Next
It's time to drop in on the White Elephant, BBC Learning English's comedy restaurant.
Session Grammar
Top tip
The answer to a negative question is the same as an answer to a positive question.
"Aren't you tired?"
"Yes, I'm exhausted." / "No, I'm wide awake."