Korean Job Discussion Forums

[EMKAYES]

Hi,
I need some help on the answers to tag questions. I've been confusing myself with the following questions:

1. Milk isn't healthy for humans, is it?
2. Milk is health for humans, isn't it?

Is the answer to both these "yes"? If so why? Surely one should be "yes" and the other should be "no".

Help please

...confused EMKAYES

[cheeseface]

[EMKAYES]

Thanks, but I am still confused. Maybe from the lack of contact with white faces this week.

So, if its raining outside and my friend from a different city calls and says:

It isn't raining outside, is it?

the answer would be: "No, it is raining outside".
I would have said: "Yes, it is"

This is the same as "Milk isn't health for adults, is it? Right?

Still confused.

??

[nobbyken]

Negative question formats and structures in Korean differ from those we commonly use.
A Koreans question can actually mean the opposite of what we think we hear!


It isn't raining outside, is it?

A Korean might answer, "No(, it is raining)."

A Westererner might say, "Yes (, it's raining)."

[EMKAYES]

OK, I found this on a grammar website:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-questions-tag.htm

How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (..., do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an oposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion!

Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not (necessarily) the question.

For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the correct answers:

tag question correct answer
Snow is white, isn't it? Yes (it is).
Snow isn't white, is it? Yes it is!

the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS WHITE! but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner

Snow is black, isn't it? No it isn't!
Snow isn't black, is it? No (it isn't).

the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK!

In some languages, people answer a question like "Snow isn't black, is it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree with you"). This is the wrong answer in English!

This clears everything up and confirmed my gut feeling.
I suppose a few minutes searching the web is reccomended b4 posting on Dave's..