Answering different questions with same answers

[juanitoh]

Hey folks,

I am sorry for getting back to the topic, but a question just returned to my mind, as I was printing it out for my example pages.

Are the answers to the questions "You don't want to eat" and "Don't you want to eat" the same?
So is this example correct?
Question: You don't want to eat?" / "Don't you want to eat?"
If I don't want to eat: "No,..."
If I want to eat: "Yes,..."


I am unsure cause Matthew wrotee: Although I think most would respond correctly to the question as given [Don't you want to eat]. They would have more trouble if it were "You don't want to eat?".

 

[juanitoh]

I am sorry, but I think it would be more helpful to explain it detailed to me instead of only grumbling. That's not helpful, only unfriendly and useless. It's not stupid to ask again if there are still some troubles.

 

[GoesStation]

It works the same either way. In either case, use a few extra words if you're not sure you've been understood.

You don't want to eat? may convey a feeling of surprise, while don't you want to eat? is a little more neutral.

 

[juanitoh]

Thank you. So a native speaker (!) would give the exact same answer to both questions, if he doesn't want to eat?

Like this:

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

 

[juanitoh]

Which is what you were told in the other thread, more than once.

But is this an answer to my first or second question now? Sometimes "quote tags" help a lot, especially if posts are written within some seconds. I still have the Feeling you're only here to grumble, Sorry.

 

[GoesStation]

How many times do you want me to answer this? The answer is the same as before.

 

[juanitoh]

But I thought you told me one question is neutral while the other one may conveys a feeling of surprise?

So is my example really correct?

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

 

[GoesStation]

But I thought you told me one question is neutral while the other one may conveys a feeling of surprise?

I did. You should answer the same whether or not you perceive that the questioner is surprised.

So is my example really correct?

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

Yes. You answer the same way in either case and it means the same thing in both cases.

 

[juanitoh]

Thank you. I know it's sometimes a repetition, but in the learning process it's much more usefull to rephrase things in own words what you have just heard and if you get then a positive feedback you know you are there. And sometimes answers may be perfect, but the learner is still in doubt, cause he has trouble to understand the answer.

 

[GoesStation]

OK. Remember that the conjunction is because. "Cause" is a different word. People often leave off the first syllable in speech. When you want to write the short version (in dialogs, for example), write 'cause. You'll often see cause written where the writer means "because", but you shouldn't adopt the practice.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Matthew wrotee: Although I think most would respond correctly to the question as given [Don't you want to eat]. They would have more trouble if it were "You don't want to eat?".

This Matthew has not written that. Are you referring to PaulMatthews?

 

[juanitoh]

Yes. You answer the same way in either case and it means the same thing in both cases.

BTW: Is there any difference between "either case" and "both cases"?
I mean "You answer the same way in either case" has the same meaning as "You answer the same way in both cases" or is there a small difference between either and both there?

 

[GoesStation]

When I wrote that, I thought to myself "I wonder whether Juan will follow up with a question about either and both."

Either is singular and can frequently replace both. I started to write an explanation of their usage but it quickly got quite involved. Please study this page and come back if you have any questions.

 

[juanitoh]

Thank you! That's a lot of Information. So in fact I find this part on the page under "Either + singular noun?"

And in your sentence there is no difference:
"You answer the same way in either case..." has the same meaning as "You answer the same way in both cases..."?

 

[juanitoh]

Oh Okay, thank you.

So....:
I wrote:

So is my example really correct?

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

GoesStation answered:

Yes. You answer the same way in either case and it means the same thing in both cases.

Is the meaning of the sentence "You answer the same way in either case and..." the same as "You answer the same way in both cases and..."? Or is there any difference?

 

[GoesStation]

Is the meaning of the sentence "You answer the same way in either case and..." the same as "You answer the same way in both cases and..."? Or is there any difference?

There's no significant difference.

 

[Roman55]

BTW: Is there any difference between "either case" and "both cases"?
I mean "You answer the same way in either case" has the same meaning as "You answer the same way in both cases" or is there a small difference between either and both there?

I can only suppose that GoesStation answered the way he did because it makes sense that way.

You answer the same way in either case (you aren't going to have someone ask you the same thing in two different ways, so it will be either one or the other) and it means the same thing in both [of the] cases [that are being considered].

Both means both, and either doesn't, so I think we can safely assume that there is a difference.

 

[juanitoh]

I looked into a dictionary. Here is the whole conversation to follow:

I wrote:

So is my example really correct?

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

GoesStation answered:

Yes. You answer the same way in either case and it means the same thing in both cases.

Now I looked into the dictionary for the meaning of "either case" and found two different results:
1.You answer the same way in (only) one of the two cases and...
2. You answer the same way in both cases and...

For me only the second example makes sense, but you are the teachers and I am glad to learn.

 

[juanitoh]

Well, I took a look into the dictionaries. So here are my results.
First the conversation:

I wrote:

So is my example really correct?

Question: You don't want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

And

Question: Don't you want to eat?
Answer: No, I don't want to eat.

GoesStation answered:

Yes. You answer the same way in either case and it means the same thing in both cases.

Now I found two different meanings for "either" in the dictionary:
1.You answer the same way in (only) one of the two cases and...
2. You answer the same way in both cases and...

I think only #2 makes sense, but you are the teachers and I am glad to learn.

 

[GoesStation]

The second example does indeed apply.