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7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
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 Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| I strongly suspected no-one was using "Yes" as a verb. 501 English verbs was compiled by Thomas Beyer (American) which makes its inclusion in the book even more strange. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| The definitive dictionary on American English is M-W, which still lists "yes" as either a noun or an adverb. But to really explore this usage, try using a corpus. I doubt that many people have yessed and written about it. |
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Lobster
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea
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| Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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But me no buts, and yes me no yeses.
RED |
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jibbs
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 452
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| Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| Usually an interjection ? |
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Mike E
Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| The Great Wall of Whiner wrote: |
I have seen it.
Please 'yes' or 'no' the following survey:
YES NO I like hamburgers
YES NO I dislike hamburgers
YES NO I don't mind hamburgers
YES NO I feel hamburgers are delicious
YES NO I want a hamburger
YES NO I am going now to eat a hamburger
I gave them all a yes. I yessed them all. My spell checker doesn't correct anything on this page.
See? I am useful for something, yes? Would you yes that? |
Did you see this survey in an English-speaking country? |
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Mike E
Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| To contradict the first two responders here, I have never seen or heard this usage, and it strikes me as thoroughly wrong. Even in the context of surveys, I've always seen instructions like this: "Please answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following." This verb "to yes" sounds no better to me than saying "to English" for "to speak English" or "to cheese" for "to say 'cheese'." |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:00 am Post subject: |
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I'm with you, Mike. I suppose an author can invent a verb in a fictional work, but in real usage folks have never yessed.
Fortunately, corpus research is free nowadays, which is why I suggested a quick check earlier. For example, while using Lextutor I have scanned 999 results for "yes" in which none are as a verb.
Im not sure how useful 501 verbs are to English study, as we don't have a lot of declensions to worry about. That series has been most useful for me with German and Spanish, for example. But even then once you know patterns you don't need such a tome. Just learn the infinitive form and apply the rules. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Erm, declensions, or conjugations? Ah, who cares? This isn't Latin class.
As for 501 Verbs, it is fairly handy for Russian. Only two conjugations in theory, but so, so many exceptions. Just right for 501's layout. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:25 am Post subject: |
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| Conjugations. Thanks for the correction. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:26 am Post subject: |
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One thing that hits you with Chinese is the fluidity of word forms (parts of speech, whatever). Many nouns, adjectives and verbs are interchangeable. English does have the same thing. If can be changed to iffy. There are many examples, though I do agree that not many people will use yes as a verb. In that situation anything can be a verb. I "if" it. However, modern pop culture does this kind of thing. I have seen in and out used as verbs.
To legitimize it by publishing it as a verb is a mistake. It is not a verb, but may be used as one. Try explaining that to a class full of learners. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| wangdaning wrote: |
| One thing that hits you with Chinese is the fluidity of word forms (parts of speech, whatever). Many nouns, adjectives and verbs are interchangeable |
That hit me after a couple years of foundational Chinese, whilst getting frustrated with dictionaries. But since that revelation it has made Chinese acquisition easier. I can even invent expressions on the fly and conversation partners seem to get me.
| wangdaning wrote: |
| Try explaining that to a class full of learners |
I actually tried this once, with some high schoolers in Taipei. They understood, perhaps because of the interchangeability in their own language. Have been hesitant on the mainland, though, because I'm afraid they'll be encouraged to be too Chinglishy. They invent enough words on their own papers. My favorite of late is "judgematical".
I don't think it would hurt a learner to play with word categories or invent words, if the goal is to develop a playful communicative competence with words. In reading instruction, for example, invented spellings can be helpful for learning letter/sound combinations, perhaps with more utility then the IPA. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:43 am Post subject: |
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I agree it makes acquisition of Chinese much easier, I constantly make words that are actually there or not. It usually works.
The issue in English is they are not indo-european language speakers, and rarely are they taught about putting together words (they have no clue for the most part about the prefixes and suffixes that go into the language). I think if they had a more in depth class of English linguistics, or if teachers took the time to break down the new vocab they might have a chance. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 11:46 am Post subject: |
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| wangdaning wrote: |
| I think if they had a more in depth class of English linguistics, or if teachers took the time to break down the new vocab they might have a chance. |
Agreed. It's the in-depth part that's the rub, at least in tertiary ed here. 2 class hours week is barely enough. And with the constant worry over rubbish surface-level tests like CET/TEM/BEC, and even the non-rubbishy gateway exams like IELTS/TOEFL it's hard to find students who even desire such depth of learning.
I would so much love to hand-select about 3 percent of my student headcount for advanced classes. Have yet to find a dean open to that concept, however.
Maybe someday the school brass will yes me. I just keep getting noed. |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Mike E wrote: |
| To contradict the first two responders here, I have never seen or heard this usage |
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yes
yes [yes] verb, yessed, yes�sing
Now you have. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| The Great Wall of Whiner wrote: |
| Mike E wrote: |
| To contradict the first two responders here, I have never seen or heard this usage |
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yes
yes [yes] verb, yessed, yes�sing
Now you have. |
A dictionary entry doesn't prove usage, no more than inclusion in 501 English Verbs can. Corpus linguistics is your friend. |
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