[Grammar] Assessment centre

[milka34]

Hey forums, this is my first post so I want to say hello. I have a question. I need to do online tests for a few assessment centres to get a job. Sometimes there are questions like these: I don't own a car. Yes? No? What should I click if I don't own a car?

 

[Tarheel]

I would expect the form to say:

Do you own a car?

Exactly what does the form say?

 

[GoesStation]

If you're presented with True or false: I don't own a car,​ answering "true" means that you do not own a car. Yes means "true", so "yes" also means you don't own a car.

This would be a terrible way to ask such a question.

 

[milka34]

Yes Goesstation, this is my test: Are these statements true? "You do not own a car." Yes? No? I don't own a car. So I click yes because the statement is true?

 

[Tdol]

A: You do not own a car.

B: No, I don't.

 

[GoesStation]

A: You do not own a car.

B: No, I don't.

That's correct in conversation. If the sadistic author of a yes/no test question asks Answer Yes or No: I do not own a car, I would answer "yes" to say "I don't own a car" or "no" to say "I do own a car."

To the OP: I would not spend a lot of time answering test questions of this sort. They tell me that the test-writer isn't serious.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes Goesstation, this is my test: Are these statements true? "You do not own a car." Yes? No? I don't own a car. So I click yes because the statement is true?

Yes, but that's an unlikely (and unnatural) way to ask that question. The most natural way to ask it is: "Do you own a car?"

 

[milka34]

Well, somehow the test is very important for me, so thank you very much.

The only thing I don't understand is why there are two different ways to agree with the statement:

1. example (my test): Are these statements true?
"You do not own a car."
Yes? No?
You say I should click Yes if I agree with the statement that I have no car.

2. example (Tdols example): A: You do not own a car.
B (wants to agree): No, I don't.

It seems confusing to me, as in both cases the person wants to say it is true that there is no own car.

 

[GoesStation]

Because the response to a negatively-worded question can be ambiguous, we normally add a few words to clarify what we mean.

A: You don't own a car.
B: Yes, I do. (B is contradicting A.)
-or-
B: No, I don't.​ (B is agreeing with A.)

 

[milka34]

Because the response to a negatively-worded question can be ambiguous, we normally add a few words to clarify what we mean.

A: You don't own a car.
B: Yes, I do. (B is contradicting A.)
-or-
B: No, I don't.​ (B is agreeing with A.)

Thank you, but why is the answer in my test "yes" when I have no car? I mean in both situations the statement is "you don't have a car.", so why can speaker B in this fictional dialouge say the statement is true with "No, I don't." while in my test I indicate with "yes" that the statement is true?

 

[GoesStation]

Thank you, but why is the answer in my test "yes" when I have no car? I mean in both situations the statement is "you don't have a car.", so why can speaker B in this fictional dialouge say the statement is true with "No, I don't." while in my test I indicate with "yes" that the statement is true?

If the test-writer really wanted to know whether you own a car, the test question would be I own a car, Yes or No. Nobody knows how to answer the question as written, so the answers they receive will have no value.

 

[Rover_KE]

Click here to read 24 more responses to this enigmatic thread.

 

[milka34]

Yes, sorry, I wanted to have as many opinions as possible, as the test is really important for me. And as the job would be in English I want to understand it.

The only question left for me is the following @Goesstation or any other one:
First you wrote that you answer "yes" to say the statement is true: "If you're presented with True or false: I don't own a car,​ answering "true" means that you do not own a car. Yes means "true", so "yes" also means you don't own a car."

But then you saId that you answer "no" to say the statement is true: "A: You don't own a car.
B: No, I don't.​ (B is agreeing with A.)"

That's somehow confusing. First you said if someone wants to agree he needs to answer with "Yes" and then you said if someone wants to agree he needs to answer with "no"?

 

[milka34]

Yeah thank you, I will move on. The only question or fear I have is that I will not fail to answer similar questions, as my new job (if I pass the test) will also be in English.

So I have one more question so I know the rules. Which one is the correct answer? Imagine it would be a facebook chat or something similar.

A: Oh I thought Sarah and me spoke to the same boy yesterday. But they are not the same then.
B: Yes. I'm Sorry. They are two different boys.
OR
B: No, they aren't. I'm Sorry. They are two different boys.

 

[GoesStation]

Yeah thank you, I will move on. The only question or fear I have is that I will not fail to answer similar questions, as my new job (if I pass the test) will also be in English.

So I have one more question so I know the rules. Which one is the correct answer? Imagine it would be a facebook chat or something similar.

A: Oh I thought Sarah and me spoke to the same boy yesterday. But they are not the same then.
B: Yes. I'm Sorry. They are two different boys.
OR
B: No, they aren't. I'm Sorry. They are two different boys.

Use the second version of B. Don't capitalize sorry.

Writer A should have written I thought Sarah and I spoke to the same boy.​ This is a common error among native Anglophones.

 

[emsr2d2]

B has no reason to start with either "Yes" or "No". B has not been asked a question. We regularly get questions from learners about whether they should say "Yes" or "No" in response to something that does not require either. You can only answer "Yes" or "No" to a question which only has those two possible answers. There is no reason to use them in response to something that isn't a question or a tag question. In your example, A used neither. A made a statement.

 

[milka34]

Use the second version of B. Don't capitalize sorry.

Writer A should have written I thought Sarah and I spoke to the same boy.​ This is a common error among native Anglophones.

Thank you, I will learn to say "Sarah and I". But can you tell me what was the second version of B (the correct version?)? Cause I had to edit my post a few times and don't know which version you read.

 

[GoesStation]

It's in the quoted text: ​No, they aren't.

 

[milka34]

Thank you. Didn't notice that you quoted it.

I have another question, not direct to this topic, but I wrote the following sentence:
A: Oh I thought Sarah and I spoke to the same boy yesterday. But they are not the same then.

Is the sentence correct? Or is it better to say:
A: Oh I thought Sarah and I spoke to the same boy yesterday. But it wasn't the same boy.

Or do they have the same meaning?

 

[milka34]

Today I was in a situation like this:

A: For a while I thought Bill and George are the same person. But they are not the same then.
B: No, they aren't. They are two different boys.
I think this example is correct. But can I also shorten the answer of B like this?

A: For a while I thought Bill and George are the same person. But they are not the same then.
B: No, they are. They are two different boys.


Then this thread can be closed.
BTW: I passed the 1. step of my test.:up: