[Grammar] No, I got it two months ago

[sky3120]

A : You do not have a driver's license.

B : No, I got it two months ago.

I think "No" should be "Yes" here. But some native English speakers say that the dialogue is natural, but some say it is wrong and "No" should be "Yes".

I already posted this question on other forums and I got answers, but I am still confused, so I need your opinions. Do you think positive sentence can follow "No"? Thank you so much as always and take good care.

1:46 pm


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[Tdol]

No works for me. I know that in some languages yes is the natural answer here, but it doesn't work for me in English:

"Don't you like it?"
"No, I don't." :tick:
"Yes, I don't." :cross:

The dialogue could work with yes if expanded: Yes, I do- I got it two months ago.

 

[billmcd]

A : You do not have a driver's license.

B : No, I got it two months ago.

I think "No" should be "Yes" here. But some native English speakers say that the dialogue is natural, but some say it is wrong and "No" should be "Yes".

I already posted this question on other forums and I got answers, but I am still confused, so I need your opinions. Do you think positive sentence can follow "No"? Thank you so much as always and take good care.

1:46 pm


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You could hear "No" in that context as in "No, I disagree with you" or "No, you are wrong". But you could also hear "Yes" as in "Yes I do etc."

 

[sky3120]

Thank you both, so you mean some say No, (I disagree with you). I got it two months ago.?

 

[5jj]

Thank you both, so you mean some say No, (I disagree with you). I got it two months ago.?

Both Tdol and billmcd have said that.

 

[emsr2d2]

If someone said to me "You don't have a driving licence", I would reply "Yes I do" and my tone of voice would make it clear that I was correcting their incorrect statement. As a side note, the person is more likely to say "You don't have a driving licence, do you?" Making a negative statement such as the one in your example is rather unnatural.

 

[sky3120]

Thank you so much. I am confused that even native English speakers have different opinions or did I misunderstand their reply or it is true that the dialogue can be natural or unnatural to someone?

 

[5jj]

Thank you so much. I am confused that even native English speakers have different opinions

We don't really have different opinions. Most of use here prefer not to dismiss something as impossible if it can be said.

As ems noted, "Making a negative statement such as the one in your example is rather unnatural." However, it's not impossible, and we gave our thoughts. There may be completely inappropriate responses to the original negative statement, but there are no absolutely correct ones. My own response might have been, "What on earth makes you say that?"

 

[SoothingDave]

I would say "I got one," not "I got it."