Answering negative sentences

[Tarheel]

Two things. Please don't use chatlish. Every single contraction should have an apostrophe. "I'm" is the contraction for "I am". I don't see why you why you still have a question about this one. (I'm not sure why this thread should continue.)

 

[Tarheel]

Please note that the best interpretation and the only interpretation are two different things. For something to be the best there has to be more than one. It is pointless to talk about "best" if there is only one.

 

[Nightright]

Please note that the best interpretation and the only interpretation are two different things. For something to be the best there has to be more than one. It is pointless to talk about "best" if there is only one.

Okay, so the only interpretation is that both (Bryan and Cathy) agree that the things they are talking about are not the same, correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes. Please don't ask us to clarify this clear answer any more.

 

[Tarheel]

Okay, so the only interpretation is that both (Bryan and Cathy) agree that the things they are talking about are not the same, correct?

There is no reason to use parentheses there.

There is no reason for me to give you the same answer you have already been given several times before.

If you have any more questions, start a new thread.

 

[Nightright]

Okay thank you. But what you mean with parentheses? Which part of the question is not needed?

 

[GoesStation]

Okay thank you. But what you mean with parentheses? Which part of the question is not needed?

You can leave out the parentheses in this sentence:

​Okay, so the only interpretation is that both [STRIKE]([/STRIKE]Bryan and Cathy[STRIKE])[/STRIKE] agree that the things they are talking about are not the same, correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

Parentheses are brackets. You should have written "... the only interpretation is that both Bryan and Cathy agree ...".

 

[Nightright]

Ah Okay, i searched for the stylistic device. Then thank you for your friendly answers. It helped me a lot. I am somehow a little bit unsure, if this all fits for the whole conversation. I just got nervous the conversation before changed the meaning:

Bryan: Is that an old photo of your friend?
Cathy: No, I don't think so.
Bryan: Okay, I always need to think about that person on the picture, who I thought was your friend. But they are not the same then.
Cathy: No they aren't.


If you see the whole conversation, is Cathys last answer "No they aren't." = "No, I agree, they are not the same."?

 

[GoesStation]

If you see the whole conversation, is Cathys last answer "No they aren't." = "No, I agree, they are not the same."?

Your understanding is correct. (It's hard to frame an unambiguous response to a question like that!)

 

[Tdol]

Thread closed- the same question can only be answered so many times.