for English Language Learners (ELL) – those learning to speak English as a Second Language (ESL), or English as an Additional Language (EAL)

TIP: Bookmark this FREE ENGLISH LESSON page so you can return to it for practice!

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The Verb BE – Answering Yes/No Questions

You can answer Yes/No Questions with either a:

1. Long answer – Long answers are typically used for special emphasis.

2. Short answer – Short answers are the most common.

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Lesson 7 – Answering Yes/No Questions

All the forms for correctly answering a Yes/No Question are shown below.

BEGINNER ENGLISH students should focus on using short answers.

For negative answers, use the contracted form.

The best choices for BEGINNERS are shown in bold font in the tables below.

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FIRST (1st) PERSON SINGULAR QUESTIONS

QUESTION: Am I late?

SHORT ANSWERS

– Yes, you are.

– No, you’re not. | No, you aren’t.

LONG ANSWERS

– Yes, you are late.

– Yes, you’re late. (contracted)

– No, you are not late.

– No, you’re not late. | No, you aren’t late. (contracted)

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FIRST (1st) PERSON PLURAL QUESTIONS

QUESTION: Are we early?

SHORT ANSWERS

– Yes, you are.

– No, you’re not. | No, you aren’t.

LONG ANSWERS

– Yes, you are early.

– Yes, you’re early. (contracted)

– No, you are not early.

– No, you’re not early. | No, you aren’t early. (contracted)

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SECOND (2nd) PERSON SINGULAR or PLURAL QUESTIONS

QUESTION: Are you Canadian?

SHORT ANSWERS

– Yes, I am. (singular)

– Yes, we are. (plural)

– No, I’m not. (singular – contracted)

– No, we’re not. | No, we aren’t. (plural – contracted)

LONG ANSWERS

– Yes, I am Canadian. (singular)
– Yes, I’m Canadian. (singular – contracted)

– Yes, we are Canadian. (plural)
– Yes, we’re Canadian. (plural – contracted)

– No, I am not Canadian. (singular)
– No, I’m not Canadian. (singular – contracted)

– No, we are not Canadian. (plural)
– No, we’re not Canadian. | No, we aren’t Canadian. (plural – contracted)

THIRD (3rd) PERSON SINGULAR QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Is he nice?

QUESTION 2: Is she kind?

QUESTION 3: Is it new?

SHORT ANSWERS

Q1: Yes, he is.
Q2: Yes, she is.
Q3: Yes, it is.

Q1: No, he’s not. | No, he isn’t.
Q2: No, she’s not. | No, she isn’t.
Q3: No, it’s not. | No, it isn’t.

LONG ANSWERS

Q1: Yes, he is nice. | Yes, he’s nice. (contracted)
Q2: Yes, she is kind. | Yes, she’s kind. (contracted)
Q3: Yes, it is new. | Yes, it’s new. (contracted)

Q1,2,3: No, he is not nice. | No, she is not kind. | No, it is not new.
Q1: No, he’s not nice. | No, he isn’t nice. (contracted)
Q2: No, she’s not kind. | No, she isn’t kind. (contracted)
Q3: No, it’s not new. | No, it isn’t new. (contracted)

THIRD (3rd) PERSON PLURAL QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Are they ready?

SHORT ANSWERS

– Yes, they are.

– No, they’re not.
– No, they aren’t.

LONG ANSWERS

– Yes, they are ready.
– Yes, they’re ready. (contracted)

– No, they are not ready.
– No, they’re not ready. | No, they aren’t ready. (contracted)

TEST YOURSELF

Choose ALL the correct answers. Some questions have more than one correct answer.

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PRONUNCIATION TIP

In spoken English:

• for a YES/NO question the voice goes UP in pitch (rises) at the end of the question
• for an INFORMATION question the voice goes DOWN in pitch (drops) at the end of the question
  

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