'there' in short answers

[Verona_82]

Hello,

My book says short answers are formed with Yes/No + personal pronoun + auxiliary verb(not). Isn't this rule poorly worded?

Are there many people with the same name as you? - Yes, there are / No, there aren't.

Replacing 'personal pronoun' with 'subject' would be better, wouldn't it?

Thank you.

[Barb_D]

No - we don't usually repeat the subject.
Is Peter going with you? No, Peter isn't. (We would not say that - we'd say "No, he isn't.)
Has Sarah fed the dog yet? Yes, Sarah has. (We would not say that - we'd say "Yes, she has.")

I agree that "there" is not what most people think of as a personal pronoun, but we certainly do not repeat the subject.

[Verona_82]

But writing 'personal pronoun' is confusing - most students will end up with "yes, they are' when replying to "Are there many people with the same name as you?" (and they actually do!)
But I see your point, thank you!

[bhaisahab]

But writing 'personal pronoun' is confusing - most students will end up with "Yes, there are' when replying to "Are there many people with the same name as you?" (and they actually do!) What does this mean?
But I see your point, thank you!

Bhai.

[Verona_82]

I meant that Russian students often make the mistake you corrected. They replace 'there' with 'they' in short answers.