Negative Yes/No Questions

Negative Yes/No Questions

With negative yes/no questions, you will be able to confirm if something is true.

A yes-no question is a question whose answer can only be 'yes' or 'no'. For example, 'Is he happy?' 'Yes, he is' / 'No, he's not'.

Negative yes-no questions are question forms that begin with a negative helping verb such as aren't, isn't, can't, don't, didn't.

We usually use this type of question to check something we believe or expect to be true.

How do we form a negative yes-no question?

Turn the negative statement into a negative question.

Examples:

• He isn't happy. → Isn't he happy?

• You aren't hungry. → Aren't you hungry?

• You don't like bananas. → Don't you like bananas?

• She didn't come. → Didn't she come?

• They can't speak English. → Can't they speak English?

How do we answer a negative yes-no question?

When answering negative yes-no questions, the answer is exactly the same as for positive yes-no questions: We answer “no” when the answer is negative, and “yes” when the answer is positive.

Isn’t he happy?

→ No, he isn’t.

→ Yes, he is.

ABOUT NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

We use negative questions to show surprise, in exclamations and when we expect the listener to agree with us.

TO SHOW SURPRISE

• Didn't you hear the bell? I rang it four times.

IN EXCLAMATIONS

• Doesn't that house look beautiful!

WHEN WE EXPECT THE LISTENER TO AGREE WITH US

• Haven't we met somewhere before?