Negative questions and answers
Don't you like it? Isn't that your brother? What negative questions mean, and why the answer is "No, I'm not".
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A negative question starts with a negative auxiliary: Don't you ...? Isn't it ...? Haven't you ...? It shows surprise, or that we expect the answer yes. To answer it, English looks only at the fact: yes goes with a positive verb and no with a negative verb. In many languages yes means "you are right". In English it doesn't, and this is where most learners go wrong.
The form
Put the contracted negative auxiliary first, then the subject. The full form Do you not ...? is possible, but it is more formal or more emphatic.
Positive question | Negative question |
|---|---|
Do you like fish? | Don't you like fish? |
Is it ready? | Isn't it ready? |
Have you met Anna? | Haven't you met Anna? |
Can she come? | Can't she come? |
- Didn't you get my message?
- Aren't you cold in that T-shirt?
- Won't you be at the meeting?
What they mean
A negative question is not a neutral question. It usually means one of two things.
- Surprise: you expected the opposite. Don't you like it? I thought you loved fish.
- You think the answer is yes and want the other person to agree. Isn't that your brother over there? (I think it is.)
For a neutral question, with no idea of the answer, use the positive form: Do you like fish?
Answering: the fact decides
Choose yes or no by the verb in your answer. If the fact is positive, say yes + positive. If it is negative, say no + negative. The question being negative changes nothing.
Question | The fact | Answer |
|---|---|---|
Aren't you coming? | I'm not coming. | No, I'm not. |
Aren't you coming? | I am coming. | Yes, I am. |
Don't you eat meat? | I don't eat it. | No, I don't. |
Don't you eat meat? | I eat it. | Yes, I do. |
- Incorrect: "Aren't you coming with us?" "Yes, I'm not. I'm too tired."
- Correct: "Aren't you coming with us?" "No, I'm not. I'm too tired."You are not coming, so the answer is no + a negative verb.
- Incorrect: "Don't you eat meat?" "Yes, I don't. I'm a vegetarian."
- Correct: "Don't you eat meat?" "No, I don't. I'm a vegetarian."Yes always goes with a positive verb, and no with a negative one.
- "Didn't you lock the door?" "Yes, I did. I checked it twice."
(The fact is positive: I locked it.)
Add the short answer
A single yes or no after a negative question can confuse people, even native speakers. Add the auxiliary to make it clear: No, I'm not. Yes, I did.
The same with tags and negative statements
The rule is the same when someone says a negative sentence, with or without a tag.
- "You don't work on Fridays, do you?" "No, I don't." (I don't work.)
- "You didn't call me." "Yes, I did. Twice." (I called.)
Why don't you ...? and Why didn't you ...?
Why don't you ...? is a friendly suggestion, not a real question: Why don't you take a day off? (= I think you should.) Why didn't you ...? often sounds like a complaint: Why didn't you tell me?
- Why don't we meet on Saturday instead?
- Incorrect: Why you don't ask your manager?
- Correct: Why don't you ask your manager?The auxiliary don't comes before the subject.
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