Use
Short answers are more usual and polite in English than answering with a simple yes or no.
Form
positive answer = yes + personal pronoun + auxiliary
Are you at home? Yes, I am.
Can your mother play the guitar? Yes, she can.
Will that actor be the next James Bond? Yes, he will.
Has the package been delivered? Yes, it has.
Is the dishwasher working well? Yes, it is.
Do you two know each other? Yes, we do.
Does your sister live in London? Yes, she does.
Did you get my e-mail? Yes, I did.
negative answer = no + personal pronoun+ auxiliary + n’t/not
Are you at home? No, I‘m not.
Can your mother play the guitar? No, she can’t.
Will that actor be the next James Bond? No, he won’t.
Has the package been delivered? No, it hasn’t.
Is the dishwasher working well? No, it isn’t.
Do you two know each other? No, we don’t
Does your sister live in London? No, she doesn’t.
Did you get my e-mail? No, I didn’t.
- a short answer always consists of three words: yes/no (1) + personal pronoun (2) + auxiliary (+n’t / not) (3)
- the short answer repeats the auxiliary used in the question
- you should always use a personal pronoun in the short answer
- when using ‘you‘ in the question, I (singular) or we (plural) should be used in the short form
- sometimes a pronoun is not used in the question and it will have to replaced by a pronoun (your mother = she, that actor = he, the package = it, the dishwasher = it, you two = we, your sister = she)
Exercises
Short answers in the present tense (Are you tired? Yes, I am / No, I’m not)
- exercise 1: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to have)
- exercise 2: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be)
- exercise 3: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be)
- exercise 4: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (can)
- exercise 5: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be, to have, to do and can)
- exercise 6: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be, to have, to do and can)
- exercise 7: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be, to have and can)
- exercise 8: fill in the correct short answer in the present tense (to be, to do and can)
Short answers in the past tense (Were you tired? Yes, I was / No, I wasn’t. )
- exercise 1: choose the correct short answer in the past tense (to be)
- exercise 2: fill in the correct short answer in the past tense (to be)
- exercise 3: choose the correct short answer in the past tense (to be and to do)
Short answers in the present and past tense (Are you tired? Yes, I am / No, I’m not. Were you tired? Yes, I was / No, I wasn’t. )
- exercise 1: fill in the correct short answer (to be, must and to do)
- exercise 2: fill in the correct short answer (to be, to have, must and to do)
- exercise 3: two exercises for practising short answers (to be, to have and to do)
- exercise 4: fill in the correct short answer (to be, to have, will and can)
- exercise 5: fill in the correct short answer (to be, to have, to do and can)
- exercise 6: fill in the correct short answer (to be, to have, to do, will and can)
Forming yes/no questions
- exercise 1: various exercises changing sentences into yes/no questions
- exercise 2: use the words/phrases to form yes/no questions
- exercise 3: use the words/phrases to form yes/no questions
- exercise 4: change sentences into yes/no questions in the past tense