Annoying "negative" questions

Franglais · 10/12/10 - 08:53

Ever come across forms where the question is like "do you not feel that........?" or something like that and you're not sure what it means thus not quite sure if you place the tick in the box if you meant "yes" or "no"?

I'm seeing a lot more of this these days.

It's confusing!

[Deleted User] · 10/12/10 - 09:21

This gets on my tits too. I don't know why people add the "not". I reply "No I do/ Yes I don't feel that.....", in the event that I do/don't agree with their implied belief.

[Deleted User] · 10/12/10 - 09:30

In German this is solved with "doch". The positive answer to a negative quesiton/statement.

When I learnt it, I desperately wanted one for English too.

Đirona · 10/12/10 - 09:55

i don't understand the question

que?

Artymags · 10/12/10 - 10:14

This made me think of 'Allo 'Allo!
Every time Rene's wife catches him snogging a waitress and says, "Rene ! What are you doing with that girl in your arms?"
he always replies, "You foolish woman. Do you not see that........" etc. etc.

Perhaps the negative question is essentially French.

Andrue · 10/12/10 - 11:01

Đirona wrote: »

i don't understand the question

que?

Do you not see how it could be confusing?

[Deleted User] · 10/12/10 - 11:05

Andrue wrote: »

Do you not see how it could be confusing?

Ha ha. I do not see what you did there.

gomezz · 10/12/10 - 11:07

We have a shift handover sheet at work full of those. If you answer all the questions logically and correctly if there are no problems then it should be a row of Yes's. But there is usually a random mix of Yes's and No's.

jsmith99 · 10/12/10 - 11:17

It's the same in courtroom dramas. The lawyer asks "Are you not the ....whatever?" or worse, "you are, are you not, the ....?"

If you are, is the correct answer to the first one "no", or "yes" if you aren't? The second, I can never work out.

gomezz · 10/12/10 - 11:30

That is another one: The courtroom lawyer's love of the compound question: "Did you or did you not kill your wife?" :rolleyes:

jsmith99 · 10/12/10 - 15:44

gomezz wrote: »

That is another one: The courtroom lawyer's love of the compound question: "Did you or did you not kill your wife?" :rolleyes:

The answer to that is "yes" .

gomezz · 10/12/10 - 16:28

Indeed. But would you trust the judge to understand and direct the jury properly or the jury to understand anyway if you were that truthful and precise.

[Deleted User] · 10/12/10 - 16:34

I'd probably just **** the system and squeeze in "yes, I do feel that..." or "I do not feel that..." instead of doing a ticky box. It's easier in court cause you can just say "I am such-and-such" or "I did not kill my wife."

Mrs Mackintosh · 10/12/10 - 16:34

I work in a school and we have a principal teacher who speaks like this all the time. The children are permanently confused by him and stand like rabbits in headlights whilst he bellows things like "Did you or did you not hit Thomas?" "What did I tell you NOT to do when you came into this classroom?" and other linguistic gems.

I don't like him by the way..:o

grumpyscot · 10/12/10 - 17:10

Almost as bad as people who say "I ain't done nothin'", or "I ain't got none"

darkthunder35 · 10/12/10 - 17:13

The most annoying question is the one at the airport.

Could anyone put anything in your luggage without you knowing? Well obviously not or I would have known:D

[Deleted User] · 10/12/10 - 18:24

Thank you! I always have this problem and end up repeating the full sentence back. What's the correct response?

jsmith99 · 10/12/10 - 21:42

gomezz wrote: »

Indeed. But would you trust the judge to understand and direct the jury properly or the jury to understand anyway if you were that truthful and precise.

I prefer to look on it as truthful and imprecise.

neon tiger wrote: »

Thank you! I always have this problem and end up repeating the full sentence back. What's the correct response?

If it were me (I'm sorry ...if it were I) I'd answer with a definitive statement. "I did .... " or "I did not....".

Helbore · 10/12/10 - 21:45

This is particularly annoying in computer programming.

Hey there!

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Annoying "negative" questions

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